TOPICS' OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 288, 6 December 1890, Page 4 (Supplement)

TOPICS' OF THE DAY.

(Feom Our London Correspondent.)

London, September 19. The Dockeks , Troubles.

I bon't know how you find things at the Antipodes, but employers of labour in London just now complain that the tyrannous vagaries of the Unions (especially the newer ones which Burns controls) are growing altogether intolerable, and that unless the masters mean to placo themselves permanently beneath the iron yoke of a Demos as cruel and ignorant ac it is odious and arroganc, some combined and decisive stroke for relief will have to be made.

To show the sort of thing that the Dock strike has led to and which goes on nowadays, I will relate to you the experience of a most respectable stevedore, who employs a large number of men at tho Royal Albert Docks loading and unloading the various great colonial liners, and who has twice been cited bo appear before King Burn 3 and his Committee. On the second occasion Captain t was charged with " always employing the same men." He replied that ho found ib best to do so. Most of his men were steady workers who had been regularly in his employ from week's end to week's end for years, and he considered that for him to be compelled to turn them off in favour of haphazard loafers from heaven knows where was simply scandalous. Bufc the Committee were inexorable. Captain C. must comply with their regulations re engaging labour, or be " boycotted." Ono of the attractions of Unions like bho DocUere' for Demos, ia that they are fine organisations for the drunkard and the loafer. " All men are equal "is their glorious motto, and the tipsy striker has equal chances and aa good pay aa tho best worker and steadiest hand of them all.

The circumstances attending the first citation of Captain C. to appear before Burna'a tribunal are extremely interesting. He was loading ono of Now Zealand's steamers, and it was imperative she should be got off by a certain time. In the midst of the afternoon heavy rain came on, and the dockere working at the two adjacent vessels struck work. They are delicate customers (many of these brawny brutes) and their " constitootions 'aye to be took care on." Captnin C.'s men, knowing tho importance attached by him to getting the ship loaded, did not knock off. Hβ was on excellent terms with them, and wishing to pleaae him they worked steadily on through the downpour. Captain C. for hie part supplied liberal draughts of hob coffee bo keep the cold out, and at the end of the time when bho work was completed ordered that extra pay at the ratio of one shilling for every five earned should be'-Ji.'ei out. Will ib be believed,the Dockers' Ooicmitteo censured this conduct severely and even threatened a heavy fine if it were repeated. As the men loading adjacent t-hips had chosen to knock oft' work, his should have done so. The man who gave me these fat'iaS racfe.J off scores of similar stories, liuraa, Tillett, and in a lesser degree Many- sire, ho declares, infatuated with a senso c f Dhoir own power, and revel in fining tias employer, and threatening or " boycotting :, that one. Exit Alden Wesion.

Whab, one wonders, wore Lord Dunlo's feelings on Friday last as he sab in the well of the Court "at the Old Bailey, and listened to his pretty wife calmly telling the story of her illicit connection with the rocklees forger in the dock ? Alden Woston inic'nb well e.mUo evilly at hie successful rival. Hβ probably felt that even his oonvicbion would not bo without its drawbacks for Lady Dunlo. She would prove him a forger, and have film " pub safely avvay," certainly ; but nothing could obliterate the fact that she had for thrao yoara been a felon's mistress, and was absolutely the mother of two childron by him. A new character appeared on the scone during tho present trial in the shape of Mks Weston. This was the woman whom tho gay Lothario with the golden moustache, bold blue eves and engaging smile deserted in order to take up with Belle Bilton. He treated her shamefully and cruelly, yet when tho fair Belle cast him off, and die fellow came out ot prison ponniless, tho injurel wife returned to him and succoured him. She it was whom Weston sent to plead with Lady Dunlo for money, and tho two women actually had an interview. Whab passed has nob transpired, but Wesbon's letter imploring her ladyship to receive his wife was read in Court. The evidence of Weston's forgeries of Wertheimer's and Lady Dunlo'a names given at the Police Court, was- repeated at tho Old Bailey, some expert testimony being added. The well-known expert Nethercliff said the imitations of LadyDunlo'eand Wertheimer's signatures were both very clumsy forgeries, This appeared to bo also the jury'e opinion, for tboy found Weston guilty without leaving the box. The Recorder then sentenced him to seven years' penal eerviAβ the convicb left the dock he muttered some words which sounded like nonsense, bub which must have been comprehensible to Lady Dunlo, for she turned very pale and seemed" about to faint. There can be little doubt that such affection as the girl ever felt for Weston, has long ago been replaced by a fear amounting to positive physical terror, and that ib waa with profoundest relief she assisted to close the prison doors upon him. In this trial, as in the divorce proceedings, Wertheimer appeared in his favourite role of Lady Dunlo's guardian angel and " koymd unselfish friend, ahem ! Lord Dunlo aat by his wifo throughout the hearing, save when she was in tho witness-box. w Sebkight's Bankruptcy. The bankruptcy (for tho second time) is announced of Mr Arthur Sebright, ono_of the chief actors in the famous Soott-Se-bright nullity suit, which created such a sensation some years back. Mr Sebright, it will be remembered, inveighled his cousin, Miss " Giddy " Scott, into going through a form marriage with him in order, it was supposed, to gain possession of her fortune. She left him outside the Registrar's Office. Fortunately, after a lengthy trial the ceremony waa declared invalid. Miss Scott suffered far less from the unavoidable notoriety of this disagreeable case than might have been supposed. She soon marriod a most desirable parti, and is now a happy wife and mother. Public opinion etr6tigly reprehended Sebrighb'e conduct in the* v/hole matter, and the wretched man was generally cut. Soon afterwards he became bankrupt, and is at the present moment uncertificated. Nevertheless Sebright managed to persuade certain people that he was a much-injured person, and nob long ago married a lady of means and position. At the meeting of the bankrupt's creditors Mr Rubinstein deprecated proceeding to extremities, as it might prevent any offer being made by Mrs Sebright. Upon this a Mr Coleraan asked whether the lady really had any money. Mr Rubinstein: "She has money unless he's spent it all." Canon Liddof. One of the mo;b; interesting obituary notices of Canon Lirtdon is that by Cano n Mac Coll in the "{Speaker" of Saturday (Septemberl3th). The Canon went a most interesting walking tour in the Balkans with Dr. Lidden some years back.and knew him very intimately. The Potato Bright in Ireland. I Conflicting reports as to the extent of the damage done t? the potato crop in

Ireland by blight appear in tho London papers day by day, and one is hard set to gauge the amount of distress likely to arise therefrom. In Connemara, however, there i 3 no doubt as to the havoc caused by the blight. Nob only is the potato crop a ghastly failure, bufc the cereals also show tho samo symptoms of disease, the grain being in many cases utterly withered and puny. Galling at the " Star" offico the other day, I waa shown some specimens of tubers and barley, which had been sent ho the editor by a correspondent in Connemara. The potatoes were taken at random from various plots in tho district. They are hideously dwarfed and diseased. Tho largest was about the size of a walnut, and tho smallest no bigger than a small Barcelona nub. All bear marks of bhe blight in the blackened skins and shrivelled bodies. So much for Connemara, and Cod h*lp Ireland if the run of crops wore to turn oub similarly ! But if the personal experiences of friendsof mine are to be relied upon, tho reports from the south - western districts are often grose exaggerations. The Poor Law Guardians, it is darkly hinted, have, wibh a view to Government grants, which would somewhatrelievcbheratesjcirculatodhighlycoloured bulletins as to the prevalence of the fell disease. No doubt, hosvever, the Government will make full inquiry into the equity of Guardians' reports ero bestowing grants ; bufc we in England would like to know the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, at once. Music. Here are two songs which I have heard myself and can honestly commend. One is " Mine in My Dreams," by Lovett King, and the other "Dream Memories," by Lindsay Lennox. M. Myers' "Salammbo" will be produced at the Paris Grand Opera during the aubumu, and it is hoped Madam Melba, who is a great favourito there, will create the prima donna's role.

Choral societies may be interested to learn that the moeb successful of the novelties produced ab Worcester Musical Festival last week was Mr Leo Williams' devotional church cantata " The Last Nighb at Bethany," now published by Novello Ewer.

Of the Christmas dance music I can recommend "Tho Gondoliers Lancers" ac excellent, and the new waltz *' Yours Always " sounds capital on the band at Covont Garden. Whether it would do equally well for piano only, I doubt. Theatrical Notes. "The Sixth Commandment" is the title of the prolific Buchanan's new piece for the Shafbesbury Theatre. Ib will be produced on the Bth prox. with the somewhat mature Mies WalliK in the principal part. The Kendals have revived "All For Her" in the provinces with conspicuous success, and intend to make this pieco a feabuie of their autumn tour in tho States. Mr Kendul plays the part which whilst alive poor Jno. Clayton made his own, Mrs Kendal resuming the character she originally created. This week Mrs Kendal will appear at Birmingham in a now one, ■'.- it piece entitled " It was a Dream." The full cast of " The Struggle for Life," H'.ich will be produced at bhe Avenue rUeatreon tho 25th inst., includes George A .exandor and Miss Genevieve Ward, as the weak Paul Asbior and his elderly but

devoted wife. Mr Albert Chevalier as CLiomineau, Mr Bon Wob3ter as Counb Adriani, Miss Kate Phillips as La Marechale, and Miss Laura Graves as Lydia. The scene is laid as in the original version in Franco, and tho piece will be mounted precisely as at tho Paris Vaudeville. Grave doubts are expressed in some quarters whether the London pit and gallery will stomach somo of Dandob's sentiments, which are Jin de aicde to a degree. Literary Notes. Colonial readers anxioua to form an idea as tb what; is considered by the "culchawed" critics of the Savillo Club the highest form of contemporary English "journalese," should procure bhe shilling reprint of the really admirable series of articles on "Modern Men," from the " Scots Observer." Some of them, of course, are better than others. As a specimen of straightforward hard hitting and polished yeb bibterly cutting sarcasm, the attack on " that good man Stead" is perhaps the most conspicuous. Lewis Morris, the poet, also comes in for a severe castigabion.. On bhe other hand, there is a singularly fair and perspicuous article on Spurgoon, and a warmly appreciative one on George Meredith, for the non-compro-hension of whom by novel readers generally the writer undoubtedly gives tho true reason.

Messrs RouHedge announce W. S. Gilberb'e " Songs of a Savoyard," illustrated by the author ; " Small Boys in Big Boots," by A. C. Gunter, author of " Mr Barnes of New York," etc. ; " Kings in Exile," an illustrated translation of Dandeb's famous work, uniform with "Sappho" and "Jack ;" and " Picturesque India," by W. S. Came. "Notches on the Rough Edge of Life is the cumbrous title of a capital little volume of vigorously - written stories of Wild Western life, two of which, "The First; and Last Preacher of Urora " and " White City," would not have disgraced Bret Harte. The author calls himself Lynn Cyril DOyle (which is probably a paeudonym), bub whether Mr a genuine literary novice or simply a wellknown writer masquerading under another name for some purpose or another, I hope we may coon hear of him again. Hie "Notches" makeup a firet-rate shilling's worth. "The Courting of Dinah Shodd and other stories contributed by Rudyard Kipling to the English magazines will be published shortly in a single volume, together with a memoir and portrait of the AngloInpiaji prodigy—the former written by his ar'Jenb admirer, Andrew Lang. Mr Marston, sent*-, the head partner of SarAPW Low, Mareton, Searle and Riving♦on, can seldom be gob to belieye in novices, and relying on his own vory fallible judgment,has I should imagine, tnissed more good things than any other man in the trade. When Mr Jerome K. Jerome was an unknown city clerk he took Mr Marston the MSS. of the "Idle Thoughts of an idle Fellow," of which considerably over 100,000 copies have now been sold in England alone. Hearing nothing from the great publishers foreome time,the young man at last called, and was contemptuously handed back his copy. "I don't want to discourage you," quoth Marston grandly, "bub I consider your essays simply rubbish." Yet another new monthly, which is to bo called "The Paternoster Review," and brought out under the auspices ot the An- i glican community. It will aim at nothing less than "a radical reform," run in the spirit and method of our periodical literature, which suffers (the editor in posse kindly tells us) from "an absolute lack of any ethical criterion whatever." The habit of trusting to distinguished names is also specially to be discountenanced. Nevertheless, number one will contain articles by Buch nonentities as Lordßipon, Mr Henry Blackburn, of "Academy Notes" fame, the Vice-Chancellor of the Primrose League, etc. I After expending many thousands of pounds and dismissing countless editors, subs and reporters, Mr James Gordon Bennett is forced to admit the London daily edition of the "New York Herald" a failure, and on Monday last its publication was discontinued. Mr Bennett does not, however, altogether evacuate the metropolitan field. The Sunday edition of the " Herald " has paid its way, and this will be carried on with a much-reduced staff. " A Marriage at Sea " is the title of the nautical novelette which Clarke Kueaell has written for the October number of •' Lippincott'e Magazine."