We greatly regret to record the death of Lord Avebnry,
which occurred on Wednesday. Lord Avebury will be best remembered as the creator of Bank holidays, which were established—Lord Avebury was then Sir John Lubbock—by Act of Parliament in 1871. He was also indefatigable in advocating " early closing" and the regulation of work in shops. Most of his programme has since been put into practice. But besides being an energetic member of Parlia- ment he was a man of extraordinary intellectual activity. It is true that he was not supreme in any intellectual field, but it was always a puzzle to ordinary people how be got through such gigantic tasks as he set himself. He was president of numerous societies—banking, commercial, scientific, and literary—and he regularly attended their meetings. He sat as a Liberal member till Mr. Gladstone introduced Home Rule, and then he became a Liberal Unionist. When Mr. Chamberlain captured the Unionist Party for Tariff Reform, Lord Avebury remained a strong Free Trader. He will long remain a model of how a man who can afford leisure may choose public service for his hobby, and though never actually allowing himself a moment's idleness, may always appear to have time for new interests and for converse with his friends.
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