HOME AND FOREIGN

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12711, 25 January 1907, Page 7

HOME AND FOREIGN

United Press Association—By Electric TelegTaph—Copyright. TAXIMETERS IN LONDON. LONDON, January 23. Taximeters and sixpenny cab fares have been officially introduced in London. [The quostion of introducing taximeters and cheap fares in London has been a subject of discussion for some time. Taximeters aro used in some of the Continental cities and are said to work admirably. By means of them the faro sees exactly how far ho has been driven and what he has to pay, with the result that an efficient check is put on the cabman's propensity to overcharge.- The innovation has been opposed by the Loudon cabmen. "Punch" nad a cartoon on tho subject some months ago. "How's business ' said the Parisian cabman to the London driver, who declared that it was very bad. "Tike my advice, mon ami," said the Frenchman, "and try taximeters and cheap faros."] MUSIC HALL STRIKE. The strike at Mr Walter Gibbon's six music halls has extended to eight others, including tho Tivoli and the Oxford, which are managed by Mr Adiioy Payne. The bulk of the halls closed are picketed. A few give scratch performances, mainly by amitoura. [AVhen the last mail left England there was a dispute between tho Musicllall Artists' Federation and tho cornpuny which owns the Empress and Hippodrome Halls, and it is possible that this and the present dispute are connected. The company, because of the terms of the licences, transferred tlie "one house a night' programme from the Empress to tho Hippodrome, and arranged to give at tho Empress the two nightly entertainments prepared for die Hippodrome. To this course tho federation took exception on the ground that the management had broken their contracts by asking the artists to appear at a place other than that for which they were engaged. The federation placed pickets outside the halls, and succeeded in dissuading seven out of twenty-four artists from fulfilling their engagements. The federation's membership is over 3000, but the profession is very overcrowded, a fact which must tell in favour of the companies.} SAN FRANCISCO AND THE JAPANESE. NEW YORK, January 23. The immigration commissioners refused to permit 200 Japanese labourers Irom Honolulu to land at San Francisco. CONTINUITY IN DEFENCE POLICY. (Received January 24th, 9.14 p.m.) LONDON, January 24. Mr Haldane, in a speech at Nottingham, agreed with the Duke of Portland in hoping, that in the future there would be a policy of continuity t.i matters of natioi'.tl defence.