London and Thereabouts.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 3, 28 September 1907, Page 4

London and Thereabouts.

(FItOJI OCR OWS ConnESPONDEKT.) .BRITAIN AND GERMANY. - London, August 16. After all tho attempts that have heon made by nowspapers on both sides of tho Channel to embroil Britain and Germany, to shoiv that the Japanese series of "guarantee" treaties and the Spanish votes aro intended to isolate Berlin and that the moving spirit beneath all these is more especially the English King, the mooting of King Edward and' the Kaiser, with its satisfactory circumstances, comes as a counterblast. Tho Kaiser was cordiality itself.' In toasting the King he said:—• I see in this visit tho expression of the feelings of kinship and friendship which animate your Majesty for tho Empress, for myself, and for my House — feelings, which - aro founded on tho old longstanding relations between our two Houses, and which found expression in our timo when wo bore a common sorrow at tho graves of my beloved parents and at tho bior of tho great Queen my grandmother. At tho samo timo, however, I see in your ... Majesty the representative, of the great British people, and in your Majesty's visit the expression of the good relation between our two peoples. To wbicli King Edward made reply :—■ Your Majesty knows it is my greatest wish that only tho best and pleasantest re- , lations should exist between. our two nations. I am dc- • lighted that your Majesties ■ will soon visit mo in England. I am firmly convinced that not.only my family but the entire English peoplo will ceive your Majesties with . tho greatest joy; The impression which King Edward leaves behind- him as ho moves on from Germany to meet the Austrian Emporor is reflected ,by the Kolnischo Zoitung, which writes:.— "Public opinion, not merely in Germany, has grown accustomed to regarding King Edward,as tho real director of tho foreign policy of Great' Britain, and it hears with all the greater pleasure tho message of peace which comes from him. As Prince Billow and Sir Charles Hardinge (Permanent; 1 .Undor-Sccretary of the British Foreign Office) had an opportunity for a long conversation, we may assumo that a fresh step has boon taken in the path of tho common work of the two great nations for the. cause of peace." EVICTED TENANTS AND THE LORDS. . ~, So much has tho Irish Evicted Tenants Bill suffered on tho dissecting table of tho Houso of Lords during tho last few days, that thoro is somo doubt wbothor.tho Govornment will' bo able to make anything out of what Nationalist members term "the relios." The Bill onablcd tho Estates Commissioners to acquire land compulsorily at what appeared to be a:fair market price. Lord Atkinson moved _ amendments tho object of which is to bring .the question of tho necessity of compulsory purchaso before tho judge of assizb for review, and to: provide that tho landowner bo compensated by an addition of 10 or cent: to tho price. , Lord Crewe, on behalf of tho Government, said that if these -amendments' wore car'riodand insisted on< tho effect would bo to destroy tho ontire purposo of tho Bill. Practically no' transactions' would tako place undor it. The Lord Chancellor declared emphatically that tho Bill was a measure of necessity for the peace and good order of Ireland. Lord Lansdowno, who leads in tho Lovds for tho Opposition/ supported Lord Atkinson. Lord Atkinson's first amondmont was carried by 153 votes to 34, and other alterations were mado in tho Bill. NATIONALIST AND SINN FEIN. . Mr. John Redmond, Leador of the Irish Party in tho Hi.;isc of Commons, in a lettor acknowledging a resolution of the Wexford Corporation to confer oh him tho freedom.'of the borough,' referred to tho Sinn Fein movement, and said the absurd pretence that tho best way of forwarding tho Irish National cause is to disfranchise Ireland by withdrawing the national .representative from Parliament has-been condemned and repudiated. Its advocates have not dared to tako tho verdict of tho people in. any part of Ireland. Thoro must bo an Irish Parliamentary party, united, pledpod-bound, and indcneiidciit of all British parties. Dealing with' the caso of Sir Thomas Esmondo, Nationalist whip, who first resigned his scat to' join Sinn Foin, then changed his mind and withdrew his resignation, Mr. Redmond remarked: —" Sir Thomas Esmondo has repudiated and 'denounced tho policy of tho Irish party. Ho has been called upon by that party to fulfil his pledge by vacating his scat, so as to allow tho electors to decide upon tho issue raised. Ho has not done so. Ho has • now announced that he is willing to act with tho party "or any other set of men" who put the National question in tho forefront. This won't do. Is he or is ho not a membor of tho Irish party, bound, so long as ho is a member of the party, to accept the policy and decisions of the majority of his colleagues, and to "sit, act, and vote with them"? Thero is no such thing as a "conditional" member of tho party. Even for Sir TV Esmondo such a select class inside the party cannot be created. If ho is to be a member of tho party he must bo on an equality, and nothing more, with overy member ■ of it. The country is entitled to ask, his constituents arc entitled to ask, and tho Irish party will want to know —Is he or is ho not an ordinary pledge-bound member of tho party"? I havo no doubt or misgiving about tho future Tho country is behind the Irish party, and the Irish party, will do its duty to tho country. The cranks and tho cynics, the'doubters, tho well-recognised professional critics havo all had their innings for tho past few weeks. They will got their answer from overy quarter of Ireland before the harvest is saved." MR, GRAYSON'S SPEECH. Mr. Grayson, tho new Socialist member for Colnc Valley, has issued a denial in connection with his Belfast riots speech. Tho following appeared ill the "Northern Whig," published in Belfast, on Monday, August 12:—"Mr. Victor Grayson, 11.P., speaking at a Socialist meeting in Huddersficld yesterday, referring to the Belfast strike, said tho soldiors in that city were weary of doing nothing, and they would liko a little blood to shed and a few bones to split. They would do that before the weekend. If tho people had not shrapnol

to shoot thoy had hrokon bottles to throw." It was charged against Mr. Grayson that a few hours after the publication of this speech the mob followed his advice. Writing to "The Times." Mr. Grayson remarks: —"Tho nowspaper reports of that speech were a gross distortion and misrepresentation of what I really said. My speech was delivered on Sunday evening, when the riots wore practically over. I read in a Sunday newspaper that the military had opened lire on the mo'b and charged them with fixed bayonets, and that broken bottles were thrown by the people Referring in my speech to these terriblo incidents, I said that the fight was a most unequal one, since on one side there were military training, ball cartridge, Gatling guns, and bayonets, and on tho other sido only broken, bottles. Lovers of fair play will readily seethat my statement was a very different thing than the one attributed to me." Mr. Grayson's disclaimer has been attacked by Mr. Markham, M.P., who denies that the riots wore "practically over" when Mr. Grayson made his speech, and who digs up other remarks of an incendiary nature I alleged to havo been made by the Socialist member. WHAT IS A "GAVELLER?" The proceedings of tho Committee of Public Accounts reveal somo more or less desultory efforts to throw light on one or two- "billets" of a moro or less vaguo and suspicious nature. The Deputy Marshal of Ceremonies came under review, whereupon the great official under examination explained that ho was a sort of "introducer of ambassadors among other things." Important questions of precedence wero submitted to him. Sir George Kckewich pressed sternly for an account of all his duties. Did ho givo the whole of his time to ceremonial from 10 in the morning to 6 at night. The great official couid not tell whether the Deputy Marshal of Ceremonies sat in his office from 10 to 6. Q. —"But still at certain times he must find time hang rather heavily on his hands?" .A.—"But then, he has got a very small salary." An even moro mysterious official was discovered in- tho examination or the salaries of tho Office of Woods and Forests. To quote again: Q — "Is tho inspector in the Forest of Dean tho same man as tho surveyor?" A.—"No; <iio is called tho deputy gavcllor. I am the gavoller, whatever that may mean." PRIMROSK LEAGUE. Addressing a Primrose League meeting, Sir Bartlo Frere spoke of the aims and objects of the Primrose League, and attacked tho immoderate and " unrealisable demands" of the Socialists. The Liberals, he went on to say , had dono already sufficient to make Conservatives anxious for a change of administration, and tho organisation of tho Primrose ' Loague must work untiringly ' with ■ that end' iir view. Mr. Alan Sykes said there wore no Homo Rulers'amongst the Primrose League, and thoy would never allow Ireland to beconio a' soparate kingdom. He reminded his audienco that Home Rule is not dead. The Prime Minister was a Home Ruler, but there was no unanimity of opinion upon the question amongst tho membors of his Cabinet. Tho cry of Socialism, too, was now being heard in the land. According to the doctrine.of tho Socialists, everything was to bo done by the State. The moro they know of' Socialism tho less wero they inclined to favour its doctrines. THE RAILWAY DIFFICULTY. Trouble between the 'railway companies and some of their' employees' continues., to threaten. Mr. Richard Bell, M.P., secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, speaking at Newport on August 10, said that if the railway ment went back upon tho policy they ontered upon at Birmingham last November thoy were going to", suffer. The railway chairman had given them their, answer, and it was for the men to' decido whethor they would pull down their flag or not., Ho was not in a position to say what tho Execu-tive-of the Society might do, but if ho wero not mistaken, it was not going to advise tho members to retreat from tho position they had taken up! PROFIT' SHARING. It is satisfactory to find at least ono' note of amiability between mas-, tor and man. At a meeting of the Commercial Gas Company in London, Mr.' W. G. Bradshaw, the chairman, ■ roforred to the operation of tho profit sharing schemo, and said the relations of tho Board with tneir workmen wero of tho happiest description. A meeting of tho Profit-Sharing Committee had just boeiriield, and it showed that tho men were thoroughly satisfied with their position, and as proof of tho good feeling he said the men entered most cordially into tho position of the Company, without the least annoyance, oven though their bonus had decreased by half. It was a great grief, to tho Board to have to reduce it. WEIGHTS OF SCHOOLBOYS. A Blue-book just published gives some interesting statistics as to the physical condition of children attending the Glasgow Board schools. .The average height and weight aro classified in correlation with tho number of rooms in the house; which is ■ stated to bo a good indication of tho child's "nutritional environment." Taking children of ages from 5 to 18, it is found that the averago weight of a boy living in a one-roomed tenement is 56.61b., two-roomed 56.11b, three-roomed 60.61b., and four-roomed and over 64.31b. The weights of girls and the rospectivo heights of both boys and girls show the same comparative rosults. NEW THEOLOGY. ' The Summer School of Now; Theology, which had been in session for a week at Penmaenmawr, concluded on August 9. Tho speakers.discussed with unusual frankness the attitude of the churches, tho colleges, and ministers towards th.e "Now Theology." It was stated by its author, the "Rev. K. J. Campbell, that somo young ministers had lost their pastorates on account of thoir sympathy, with the movement, and it was suggested that a fund for thoir protection should bo opened. MINERS WAGES. The Coal Conciliation Board for tho federated districts in England and North Wales agreed on ■ August •14 on a 5 per cent, advance in miners' wago3 from tho first makiug-up day after September 13. This brings wages to 5 per cent; below tho agreed maximum. Tho coalowncrs • put it on record that tho advance was given' intho belief that, thero is a rising market. •