THE WEEK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 279, 22 November 1913, Page 10

THE WEEK.

THE DOMINION. Tbp watersiders' strike has now extended over four weeks, and the general strike was declared fifteen days ago. The watersiders have made a very solid stand, and though the wharves and vessels in port are being worked to their fullest capacity, very few of the old watersiders have returned. The new Arbitration Union has, however, a membership of considerably over 600. and it is stated that there will be no difficulty in maintaining it at even greater strength. There has been a partial breaking down of the jrener.il strike for. though the Strike Committee will only admit a very small number of ■ secessions 'by recognised unionists who went out at their call, there is no doubt that there is a pretty general resumption of work in various trades, building, carting, saw-milling, etc. The call for a general strike met with very poor response in the South. Work, has proceeded briskly on the Wellington waterfront, a good start has been made at Dunedin, and Lyttelton gets to work next week. There hare been some slight disturbances at each of the chief ports, but nothing of a serious character. The Athenic, which left Wellington for London on Tuesday afternoon, carried one of the biggest cargoes of produce ever loaded there. Its total value was £306.634, and it included butter and cheese valued at £"354,000. The Opa.wa for London, and Marama for Vancouver, take between them 60,773 boxes of butter of a total valne of £169.680. A sensational story told by a man named Joseph Davis of having kicked five plugs of gelignite off the Main Trunk railway line at Green Lane., had an equally remarkable sequel on Thursday when Da, vis was arrested on a charge of having placed explosives in a public place, viz.. a lavatory at the Green Lane railway station. The circumstances of both lots of gelignite being bound with a peculiar twine led to a search of Davis' residence., and resulted in the discovery of more gelignite and similar twine. Accused is an ex-railway employee, and an old age pensioner. Mr.' 'Massey is finding the ways of Parliamentarians pecullnlariy difficult. He has a large amount of important business to transact, 'but is not getting any nearer the prorogation. Early in the week an attempt was made to repeal the second ballot by a clause in the Legislature Amendment Bill, hut the Opposition made timely discovery, and since Tuesday niaht the Government has practically 'been held up with a persistent stonewall. There was an adjournment of both Houses on Tuesday owing to the death of Mr. George 1 rensoii. M.P. for Lyttelton. after a brief illness. A Hamilton resident named Henry Alex. Burbush. who had been serving as a special constable in Auckland, had a bad fall while jumping a horse over a rope in the Domain camp, and sustained injuries which resulted iv his death. Alfred Biddlc. charged with the murder of Mrs. Lilley at ilayficld last month, came up for trial at Christchureh on Thursday. The fact* of the .*.--<•.. were not challenged, but a plea of insanity was et up. After a -quarter of an hour'? retirement the jury returned a verdict of guilty of wilful mnnler. and the death sentence was pronounced by the Judge. '"' IBTPEBIAX..

There i* danger of the Dublin striVe extending across the Channel, a grave industrial upheaval being feared it this should prove to be the ca.se. The Parliamentary Committee of the labour party, however, is against this proposal. Thn , National labour Committee ha* endorsed the Parliamentary (itlee's action in fixing a special congress to consider the dispute on December Oth. They cxpkiiu the apparent delay by a desire to secure the rank and file's voice in the situation. Larkin and his supporters are incensed at the delay, and demand immediate action. They insir-t upon a refusal to handle any soods to or from Iceland. The Parliamentary party which visited the overseas Empire ha* returned to London, all the -visitors bein-i greatly impressed at the prosperity and development of the Dominions, while the loyalty of the unlives delighted the visitors. Annual visits of the kind are urged. bharp rioting has warred in. Natal v»tj a result of the strike of Indian eatieeuitera and supar-mill workers, arising from the taxation and registration of Hindu?. There are now signs of the trouble collapsing. The Government i? submitting to Mr I Bnnar Law (Leader of the Opposition) i a proposal to cxelude Lister for a I definite term of years from the operations of Home Rule, and to impose an additional burden on the taxpayers of; (»reat Britain for the purpose of compensating the Nationalists in Ireland for j file temporary loss of Ulster's wealth. 'Mr .John Burns (President of the Local Government Board), speakirjjr a ( Meiton Mowbray. said the Home Rule Bill gave the .minority in Lister adequate protection, and settled permanently what Ireland needed and must <TPt. and deserved. There was scope and hope, he continued, of an amicable settlement of an ancient ! \vro;<2. a long-needed act of justice to a united Ireland. Mr W. O'Brien (Nationalist M.P. for Cork City), and Mr T. M. Healy (Nationalist M.P. for North-east Cork), speaking at Mitchell-. town on Saturday, said they were convinced that Mr Redmond and Mr Asquith were considering the temporary exclusion of Ulster as the price of securing Home Rule without resorting to an appeal to i the country- Both speakers urged that i a conference should be held of the best men of ail parties, and predicted that the result would be to make Home Rule tolerable to the Protestants. Mr Hcaly added that the Nationalists were willing to make any settlement short of creating an Alsace within the Empire. The Duchess of MarlboroujM. who presided over an anti-sweating conference in London, declared that thousands of women were toiling long hours for six to eight shillings a week, while childworkers of tender age received, a mere pittance. Over three hundred thousand organised women workers earned less than 12/ a week. The New Zealand footballers defeated Victoria by 23 points to nil in the first game in the British Columbia series. FOREIGN AFFAIRS. The Mexican tumult continues to cause misgiving in the United States, though it is now believed that Huerta i= ready to re~ign. and is looking for a soft plae.c to fall on. His troops 'have been badly beaten in the north, where Cariam.a (leader of one Constitutionalists) holds most of the country. President Wilson shows a disposition to accede to Oariajiza's request to recognise him as the head, of the Republic. There are already signs of healing- of the Balkan -wounds, and Turkey and Bulgaria, are now ing a. ■commercial -treaty.

THE COMOCONWEAIiTH. A deadlock has arisen in the Federal Parliament -which may involve a double dissolution. The Senate is practically on strike. After transacting preliminary business on Wednesday the Opposition, by 23 to 4. forced, an adjournment a* a protest against the Government adjourning the Senate a fortnight ago and then proceeding with, business itself while a no-confidence motion was hanging over the Government. The Leader of the Opposition, in moving the resolution, I declared that as the Government was prepared to conduct business with a want of confidence motion still pending, it was time the Senate showed the people that the trne friends of constitutional government -were the Opposition. The Senate refused to transact business again on Thursday. and tlie crisis is believed to be close at hand now. The election campaign in New- South Wales is in full swing. Interest is supplemented by a long-dra.wn newspaper battle between Mr Griffith and Mr Wade over Mr Wade's charges against Mr Griffith's administration of the Public Works Department, punctuated by numerous mutual challenges to thrash the matter out in the Courts. Both, iowever. are apparently shy of going to the length of legal action.' The local option battle at -tSie elections threatens to be very keen. Both sides are working hard, and the Press is inundated with correspondence for and against making the electorates "dry. , ' The local optionists are concentrating their special efforts on a. few electorates, and hope to carry the no-license proposal there. The Aurora has sailed from Hobart to bring back Dγ Mawson and his party from Adelie iLand. A wireless mes&ags from the. explorer states that the party is all well, hut is anxious to return to civilisation.