OUR LONDON LETTER.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7441, 15 October 1889, Page 5

OUR LONDON LETTER.

(vxom oxrm coK&BSPomnnre.] LONDON, August 23. AN IMPOBTANT DECISION. A very important decision was givenlast week in the House of Lords, and one which should be of interest to colonials. Hitherto a colonial resident in England has been obliged to pay income tax upon the whole of bis income here as well as property or income tax on the whole of his property or income in the colonies. Several Australians and New Zeal&nders have spoken to mc about this, and emphasised its injustice, though, doubtless, the advanced Badical section would gloat over the necessity as a tax upon absentees. Now, however, all this is changed, thanks to Mr Hy. Brooks, a member of the firm of Brooks, Robinson and Co., of Melbourne. Some time ago Mr Brooks, who is residing in London, was taxed by the authorities on the whole of his income, which is mainly derived from Melbourne. Mr Brooks objected, and the matter came before the Income Tax Commissioners, who decided that he must pay the assessment. The case was now stated for the Courts, and came before Queen's Bench division. The Divisional Court was divided in opinion, Mr Justice Stephen holding that the tax was rightly levied, while Mr Justice Wills held that it was not. However, judgment was entered for the Crown, and once more Mr Brooks appealed. This time the case oame before the Court of Appeal, and the result was that the decision of the Queen's Bench Division was reversed. Then the Crown carried the case' a step further, and appealed to the House of Lords —the stage of all appeals. Lords Herechell, FitzGerald, and the Lord Chancellor heard the new pleading, and they upheld the decision of the Appeal Court, and quashed that of the lower Courts. Thus it has been established that a colonial residing in London has only to pay income tax oil the income he spends or employe in England, and that the profits of his share in a business which are retained to his credit in the colonies esoape taxation. The thanks of colonials generally are due to Mr Brooks for hia pluoJc and perseverance in fighting this case. THE DOCKYARD STRIKE. News comes to mc from the Shipping Company's offices that the fiuapehu is te be detained owing to the strike in the dockyards. Not only is it impossible to get stokers, without whom a steamer is as a rudderless ship, but it is impossible to load or unload, or to do any shipwork at all. The reasons which hare brought about this state of affairs are easily imagined. The dock laborers want an extra penny an hour, and the authorities refuse to give it co them. Yesterday morning a big demonstration of dock hands took place in the East End. The tea men have all joined the strike, and their action means a complete paralysis of Mincing i lane movements. Meetings were held at Tower Hill and the East India Docks, and by eleven o'clock a start was made for the city, with bands and banners. Nearly 50,U00 men took paxt in the parade. The men one and all are as sober and orderly as on the first day of their idleness, and it can only be hoped that the long fight will have no demoralising effects. They are, to all appearances, patient; but it requires no very intimate acquaintance to see that it is only a tight curb on something like desperation. Yesterday, at Tilbury, in consequence of the strike, soldiers were employed in loading (Government etores. A force of 2000 metropolitan police have been drafted inside, in the immediate 1 neighborhood of the dock; while the military at the Tower, and Wellington, St. : George's and Albury Barracks, are held in readiness in case of rioting. The authorities can bring' up the military in an hour. The New Zealand Shipping Company, finding that there was no ohanoe of the Euapebu getting off, immediately lent word to the Agent-General, asking him to inform the Post Office authorities. This was done, but whether difficulties will be patched up so as to enable the ship to get off by Saturday I cannot cay. ! A hurried meeting of shipowners was ■ held ac the P. and O. Company's offices to I consider the position, and it is hoped that terms will be proposed which will satisfy the laborers, who are led by the indefatigable revolutionist Barns. The P. and O. boat Khedive, which was to hare Bailed for Calcutta to-day, still lies unloaded in the docks, and cannot possibly be dispatched, and all work is at a standstill. Postscript—According to the latest information, no compromise haa been effected at the docks. The representatives. of the Company had' a conference with Messrs Burns and Tillett, the representatives of the Btrikera, but found themselves unable to go all the way. The strikers refuse half a loaf, and preparations are being made to bring up dock hands and stokers from Southampton. THE DUNEDIN EXHIBITION. Mr Kennaway, who has been busying himself about the loan collection of pictures for the Dunedin Exhibition, has another work of great interest to send out after the others. This is a picture of the House of Commons in 1730, painted by Hogarth, and is lent by Lord Onslow, who inherited it from his anueetor, Mr Speaker Onslow, who was presiding over the House at that date. The picture was on exhibi tion in Melbourne last year. In addition to this painting, the New Zealand Agency Company has a collection of models and appliances, relating to the Kindergarten and the Swedish Sloyd. systems, which are to be transhipped shortly. The London School fbard. is, I understand, sending out a oase of exhibits through Mr Simmons, .the Oifloial Agent of the Exhibition. By the way, owing to,an unfortunate mietaxe, all Mr Simmons' letters were for some time sent to the wrong address —an address inadvertently given by the authorities in New Zealand— and were thence returned to the Dead Letter Office. Now, however, this mistake has been rectified. THE MERCHANDISE MAEKS ACT IN THE COLONIES. Mr Mundella is curious about the Merchandise Marke Act in the colonies, and asked Baron H. de Worms what, colonies had adopted it. From the Baron's reply we learn that it is in force in almost every part of the British Dominions, and that moreover, the Governments of the following colonies have promised to introduce similar legislation: — Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania; New Zealand, Bahamas, Barbadoes, Malta, and Hoag Kong, while the always wrongheaded and obstreperous New South Wales is the only colony which has not yet " signified its intention of adopting the principles of the Act." LOBD HOPETOUN. On the top of his colonial honors came others for the youthful Governor of Victoria. On the 28th he is to be presented with the freedom of LinHthgow, near which borough lies Hopetoun House. Lord Hopetoun is a Tory, while the last freeman of Linlithgow was a Liberal, and also a neighbor, named Lord Boeebery. It would appear that Linlithgow does not go far afield for its freemen. AUSTBALIAN COLTS FOB THE DEBBY. The arrival of Mr James White's colts has given occasion for a rather surprising outbreak of " turfiness " on the part of the Pall Matt, which is not usually given to thines so material as the etable. The organ of Northumberland however, becomes quite poetic in places about the venture. "We have had," i* s****"**"* Australian cricketers, and the Australian scullers and the Australian footballers, now we are to have An Australian, who has the good wishes of all Australians, wishes to annex the English Derby of 1890. He is a plucky maf who sends two cota 10.000 mUee to compete against the "best oorse* m BngBaftoit Jβ Jβ* what tfa* 800.

James White, of New Booai.Wale»,iß. He is the pluckiest racing man in Australia. . . . He has never been afraid to pay a good price for a good horse. The consequence has been, that he has got together the strongest stud 'in Australia. The mail steamer Orizaba brought two colts whioh hare been entered for the Derby of 1890. They are named Kirkham and N&vellan, and, so far as looks go, Mβ said to be good enough to race in any company. It hae long been a moot point whether Australian horaea are equal to English hones. They all come from the same stock, bat are raised under vastly different climatic conditions, and, moreover, are trained ou very different lines. Ringmaster ran fairly well in handicap races last year, but compared with Kirkham and Narellan on the score of breeding he was but a waggon horse compared to a flash carriage horse. Both were eired by the mighty Chester, who in his day started in thirty races, winning nineteen, running second in seven, third once, and unplaced three times. Both colts are beautiful movers, and Australians are convinced that, all going well, they will have a great run for their money, which will in all probability be piled on in thousands. The Hon* James White, now that he has set the ball" a rolling/ will probably be represented in every English Derby for years to come. He has in preparation for the Derby of 1891 a full brother to Dreadnought, last year's crack Australian two-year-old, by Chester from Trafalgar. In 1892 Australia will be represented by a brother to Narellan and a half-brother to Kirkham, by Martini-Henry from La Princesse. If there is anything in heredity, the last-named should be a clinker. The example set by the Hon. James White might well be followed by other wealthy Australian owners. Perhaps the day is gone by, owing to the fame Australian cricketers have attained, when the sending of racehorses would be an advertisement for Australia; but the competition of Australian sportsmen must have at any rate the one good effect of binding in closer bonds of unity people who speak the same language and who bow to the same sovereign."