THE UNITED KINGDOM

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 92, 11 January 1908, Page 12

THE UNITED KINGDOM

EDALJI'S VICTORY. London, November 28; • The-Master of tho Rolls has made an order directing that Mr. George Edalji's namo shrill be restored on . the roll of,, solicitors. This is tho outcdmo of a petition which was / t presented to', the Master by Messrs. Lewis and .Lewis asking that, in view of.rccent -- dovelopmonts,- Mr.- Edalji ; should .bo ,rem-, -,--■ stated; hd' .'is;' therefore',, -now! -at liberty, to; practise as a solicitor onco again. , ! - Slf, iidalji, it,willbe' . rdmembdred, was; - cdnvidtdcl r ; ; ,inv :i cdhnectidn with '.* the Great. ■■■! Wyrley cattle ' maiming r cases some, years. '. ago'. "Ho protested his , : innocence.--; riiost- • jltrdriudusly, ;b'iit was ' ' 'to' y seven gears' penal servitude; and hii name was Bccdrdingiy .sirucb;.off th'd.rolls iS,' a 'solicitor.' , Sir Arthur C'onan 'Doyle.becamo , interested in his case,'arid in-time' a cdmihisBjoii was appointed't-6' enquire into' tho whole ■'"aiatieif; ~ Tliis:jbrougli£.iffbout Mi"". Edaljj's first victory:. He was froiri prison, •but as it was ::' Jield|- tiiat he.' hiinself was partly' rfespdiisible for hjs wrongful conviction. / Now he has scored a sd'eond victory iS bfiT wig restored to his position fry the Mastdr' of tho Rolls,- and a further agitation-has been jommenced tb have the decision of the Homo - Ofhco refusing compensation rescinded. It as argued by Mr.-- I'Malji's .supporters—-and they aro many—that it may now. be taken , for granted t-hat tho conviction was a. wrong ono. " i . - - fSir Lewis: stated, that hd'thought '- tKolast act made it almost 'impossible, to ;reiuse compensation. , "Whether such ctim- ; pensation will bo mado dr/riot 'I; oficbursd, cannot say," added Sir Gcorgo. "You see, .. w'e:,hitye fS-Lcddte'rid'.With! flio suggestion tGat -Alf-.Edalji .Hirdielf wroto'dortaih arionj;moml letters, accusing himself of 'thd crimes. , JTo my mirid; it is' perfcetly 1 imagine, a ma;ii;dfiirig; a thing; ; Iy i.- -lug on behalf ; df Mr. Edaljij havd, applied td •• the Law Society .that his .naind shall: be eiif tored,upon the rollj-.But whether he will take out,the'-annual certificat-d necessary dr.iiot; I -. ngam cannot say;". V . .;. „-.-.' -.. ~ Askod.as to the funds;.which liad been Siib'-. i Bonbed by. sympathisers to help in completely cjoaring ; Mr.. XSdalji) Sir. Gcorgo,Lewis .stated ■. - that there wiis iiow, no. further need for them, , ond .that they | w'SiiM, bd Handed'over, to Mr; s ■Edalji's>parents. ~.'..".0f, course,"..added Sir George^, wd,shiiil still cdritiiiud in,our erideayour id dbtairi'cdmpe'nsatiori, but .that, is merely k . question .of, lotttrl wfitirig. , ."'No' .coiiilsol will:bd needed .for' tliat, arid,, therefore, .th'dM will be hut little expense.". . . : The,'ddrtificatdi referred . to,' by . Sir Gebr'go : Lewis-is thd document without, iwhich-.-a- ---• solicitor carindt , practise.,., Very few. solici- " tors whose names have onco| been struck off famous "roll" ever Succeed iii, haying them re^la6ea, ( nnd there failing Vfliich k ..is., absoliit6l y .iiiiparddnabld in - this respect. ' TBaf.Jg enabling any, unqualified * p'drson.; to i - act ds a sdficitdr. \ Sir Arthur, Coniln. ,J)oyie'; who has .woriced ,so .streniioiJsly. ori-Mf. Edalji's .behalf; had ' .' the pleasure of . ahnbuhcirig id.; him the.' dcM ■ - cillon of .the'.Slas'ter df,the'Rolls. ' COLONIAL GUNNERY INVENTION. : ... Eieveii.months.ago. tho public was' informed 1 that ,a; Melßdurno lrivfcritor was en route for ■ . Londdn;-: wit-h him the mddels and plans';of an invention .which, . '.lid claimed, - ■ woiild revolutionise naval Warfare. .The in= ventor was Mr. G: 8,. Austin, a well : k'hdwri official in tho Victorian Civil, Service; and ; thd invention was ■a. cdritriVaricd by -which giiris could be trained accurately, oven in ;tho rdughest .sfeas. .- ilf. - Austin: ' has',how ; home; and he has inadd the follow- ; .irig,'statement, to an, interviewer-I airi glad td be .able tb, say that I am well satis:' '• fidd fosiilt of .ihy mission; . Thd first gfoiihd for iiiy satisfaction-is that I havo - achieved whnt colonial irivdhtors very rarely : do. j , I succeeded iir getting right to : tlid : fdiintain hdad;-Tli'o .dntird sclienid of my inveritidn has bdeii laid; before ■ tlid speci<il bdatdiof experts.appointed by, the: Admiralty to enquire into'thd merits of the ediitrivahed, and I havd been assured that 'it will receivd , ■earnest atteiitidh: /That was all ■ I set oiit .. to do. Thd Admiralty and tho inveritiori i&uit do tho rest.- '{It-was rid : easy busindss l to gain that appointment, I can aSsiird yoii. Influence, and plenty df it, top, had to be ; Brought to bear before I cbuld even open the front door. But eventually, pressure told; -and experts were selected to test the model. : ; i am bcrtaih bf'ond thing, and that is, th.-\t unless naval warfare is soon a secondary aerial the British Admiralty ' will have to adopt Borridthing' df the sort."

. SOUTH AFRICA. "

Tho "Standard's" correspondent in Johairinesburg says':— •'■: ... .• . Sir Joseph West Ridgoway is reported, by cablegrams from Loiidon, to havo declaretl, in an interview. of the- Orange River Colony elections; that,.ho, is. satisfied with tho declaration of the ,polls, and to have iddedj 111 reference' to • the, Trarisvaiil,' that it was a, fortiinatb iiircumstaricd.that' the Progressives wero not iri ilower when the aid of ,the military wa3 , sought iri tho recerit strike of tho. Rand. .minors.' • Sir West Ridgeivay is further reported to have'said that there is.no fdurida'tiori for tho strictiii-es which' hayo been passed on Mr. Botha's Government iri tho matter of dismissing British Civil servants on tho ' score of retrenchment.

/ Sir Joseph West Ridgeway . is perfectly entitled to rojoica (if ho car£s todo so)'at the doubles falsification of his boast that tlio commission of enquiry of , which ho. was chairman had steccMdod in ', satisfying hi) parties, and in fairly apportioning political power in tho two colonies, but ho is hardly justified ill. discussing evchts concerning which .ho is manifestly .. quite, misinformed. Had thb Progressives been' in . power the minors' striko never would havb. occurred. It was tho natural result, .of the election speeches delivered . by leading members of Het Volk, which conveyed unmistakably, the impression that a Hot Volk Government would support'labour in niiy conflict " which might ensue with tho Progressive mincownors.

CoiieWhing tho natter of retrenchment, tho latest instance which has come .to my knowledge relates totho Department for Piativo Affairs, whoro twelve Britons in country district's havo been dismissed on tho score of economy, and their places takenby twelyo men from tho Johannesburg Pass Office, four of whom nro Dutchmen.. NW, mark tho sequel. Tho twolvo vacancies thus created—fictitiously crrated—in tho Pass Office havo been given to twelve Dutchmen.

CANADA.

Tho Franco-Canadian trade treaty presented to Parliament on November 28, comprises throe schedules—(a) giving tho minimum tariff fates applicable to Canadian goods entering France; (b) tho intermediate tariff rate payable in Canada on French' imports; (c) tlits special tariff given to specific French products. Tho now rates proposed to bo given to Franco will. extend to all countries enjoying favoured nation treatment; /'Austri'aHuugary, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Denmark, and, possibly, Spain will thus receive this advantage. Jn negotiating tho treaty care, was tnkeh to conserve the interests of Canada's growiltg trade with Great Britain. There is no discrimination against England. In somo cases lower duties than Canada's intermediate tariff havo been granted to Franco, nnd Great Britain gets tho same/ In two or tlireo instances, such as wihes and medicinal liquids, lower duties havo boon given to France than thoso in force with Great Britain under Preference. This will bo changed by legislation this session, when tho same rates will apply ..to

Britain. There are of French special goods in Whidh , Britai# is not interested.- 1 fako light wines,- whprri the tariff hiis boon leduded 10,,20j and 25 per c6nt;| according to\ tho alcoholic strength. Britain will receivo th 6 sam'6,fates, bpt , she is not interested. ..Medicinal liquids arc!, treated similarly. •''"}VitK'''tho' , exception of about hi ■ dozoh' special; wines,' where .special rates are l'Vonch "goods V entering , Caflada will advantage .of.'.thd ifiteriiS6'diEti6 t&r'iff now existing.' .', In :a''.speoial lisfc (/ wh'erd' IdWar dutieS are granted, ard'Erorifeh wines,- boots, and peri,'odicals, 5 olivcr oil; medicinal preparations, om--silk ; ;-i"velvets,-, silk 'fabrics; and ribbons: - •• Thd; mihimiim. duties giVeh by Fran fed' to Canada will-apply to-about £40,000,000,w0rth of exports. v';Tho minimum duties on French goods (jriterihg Canada" apply 'drilv. to ship'ments -;thrdtigli 'Canadian ports, either from Franco, direct or through British ports. In •-ißipnfehti'fiiiigt.' land' at Canadian ■ports to obtaiii- thd'- benefit.of thd' minimum tariff. 1 , - In other words,.- all shipments from Canada to Friili'cd; to rebeive thd benefit of thd" niiriinium"duty. mii St. be niiidd cither tb France direct- or through Britain: In the -.latter case imports .wilL hav6 td pay what is 'known, as taxes . ■d'eriirdpot,, athri'untirig to 100 kili^ .grammes.;. if- made. thfmi'fih '•$«■»» other coiiri- i try tho higher-tariff-will b'd charged. The' British of,. Trade has Affirmed thd treaty 1 .,, - Thdio' Canadians who, so• far, iiave seen.it-y approvd. " '

blackfriars bridge disaster.

l our men wore kUled ,arid, others injured at the of . Blapkfrinrs Bridge, .through.; the i.iilnro of a staging by. riieans .Officii one of i;Ke.,'foundations of "the new portion of.tho bridgd;was boinc laid. .Tlie' accident.occurred shortly, after foiir o'olock in thd'aftferndqri.y In building the ex■■;9f the bridge it is to lower ■a ; number, of cjissonS,, or, Scylindersj to' tho iji-.orfldr thai tKo workmen rnny.firmly the necessary foiindations.' -The, fourtji,' of .tlie. caissons, counting from ' tno City- .of the rivdr, had been rdready,.filled ;with the' concrete necessary to jowcr into position, arid Was being inariipulated jacks.- resting, ori; fbur girders. Suddenly,' without -.a...moment's' warning; three ii rioiSe ,' like thntider .was.hoard,as.the caisson struck the. river. Tho four" .mon . wlio were standing on thd'Caissori itself arid, the tlired Who wefo JoiifFoiairip which fell .iverS. at diicd hurled ~ into the. river, - soirie, of' them beihg violently dashed • against' the oiltstandirig supports.. > .. .; , • < : ...,A^, *tho scene was orid of iridcscribable Ronfusion. Hen ,working ori, the, bridge hurried"from, all- directions) and endeavoured to' assist-•< their unhappy coriirades. Police boats, arid fire brigade: boats hurried iip. arid every effort .was .made to save the" injured ■reen;r;:7p]ard lamps, arid hand lamps soon lit , : up.tho".wreck-ago i ,-' , and'iri a very short tifnd three,. of. the men wdro lifted out of the ty their .corrirades.' Another: iiamed \yillinmsi wad fortunate erioufrb' to eficapo without, injiirv, artf; s-frani to' the jiiatforrii, "While'-a 'fourth; who : . vfas discovefed at tho . jetty. #itli.the . watdf. laiipirig over. hiS head, waS. promptly fescnocl. It.was 'behjsved■ that the .bodies (if two. of tho woWtffieii' werd lying' buried beneath . the ! "r e . ; ; tlivifTX ' operations, were befeuri withui a: few- niirirites. after'the accident. . John Williams, of 83 Station Road, Arier-,fe,-011 -the staging .when the accident occurred, and ivas th.o only friari who escaried bMn|..thro\?n ,Wte;ibe river... He described lus experiences as follows: *'\\ T e wore filliric .a.caisspii 'with':; cdneretd,preriaratorv to ;loweririg ; .it.to.,the.rjyer.bed t when suddenly ,°f.-tlje • foiir, i girderS, iiiidcr the .pressure of. the, jacks, .caiited, arid in a went , down witli the caisson iritb, i I-was. on the, other fdrder, and ;was rtble^to.oniwi bacjc. to the bridge: As caiit<>d forward, I saw my 'seven; mates, thrown..,off,' arid Tcan tell yoii I did not. feel,aii j, tlifi.better for. it." ' died so'dri after te the hospitil, but a iriaii riariicd Neilspnj : who ..was. rtxiovered' froiri the . water .bvthe.w.hpe, ,is,,progfcSsirig favourably at •SV A man. iiairied ieacock, who was thrown into the Thames the stanchion broke, managed to cling to tlie pier liritil the polido boat took him off.' He -said; wliilo Still dripping water ....from ...his ,clothes: — "It was an awkward exporiqpee, arid,' :of course, 1 m , glad to havo got out of it. %l. 'for..an..- ; l,,.Wjs. worth'. down the staging, and/while .waitiiig for the police boat to pick mo off,. I. had,. as you caii guess, a t pretty urico'mfoHnble 'timo; .Still,here I.am,, and no worse for it."• " As the; night shift .men camo dri duty- they wore, informed that.their services were riot required, arid large crowds of people werd .gathered.outside' thd.gateS of the works until .midnight... '

,-Tlio work,- was commehced early in January °c j as ' ; year. Tho contriict for the wideriing of .the ibridgei .which will involve ah dxpeiidiof £200,Q00. by,-;.the tJity Corponitionj towards which the Gduiity Council is to contribntd a substantial siim for the privilege ,of;i:unning electric cars over the bridge; was let 'tb.ithe'LGldsßOvyvfirhi of Sir William Afrol.'aiid C0.,-whioh . built the Tay, Fortliy arid.Tower. Bridges; and the contract is to bo completed. in..thfee.years. When the snpei--ctllr o is completed the Couiity Council will ..make -a: tram , track-, over • the bridge from,John,.Carpoiitdr..Street, and that porM?! 1 , .of ,'tliei:'undertaking. should bo accomplished ~in--loss.'than six months.

SIR G..PARKER AND THE COLONIES.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Victoria League at Colston Hall, Bristol, the Lord Mayor of Bristol in the chair, Sir Gilbert Parker urged that, siiico we must export.'.men as well as goods, it'shoiild be .•°W. d % t ° . or S a " l . s . o , oU l r emigration in. conC n with Colonies, ;ind to have our own ollicials" in the Cdloniis, 1 who would help by advice and, suggestion the dazed and inexperienced, emigrant, until ho had settled in Mr. Kipling said, Lritish emigrants should be pumped into Umada, then it should bo doiio svstomatically, wisely, arid, helpfully. We had sent to the.•United Stat'is nearly . G,Q00,000 of our best blood'durilig-a period of fifty years. It was time that wo sent tlieni where they would remain under oitr own flagj helping to build-up- an Empire for which their fathers 'had .paid a.great :price in blood and .gold; ~ -There ..was .no Jingo, spirit now, Imperialism did not consist in. waving a flag, playing "pod Save tho King," and talking at. the top of thc voice. Wo had got upon a quieter and better, course. Thoro was still much ig- ■ jioraitce, however, in.high places as along the lower levels. Thero were scorcs of Colonial Ministers who, from time to time, bad visited England during Lord Salisbury's 'Administration; _ahd had never been brought into "touch with him. or his colleagues. It was all wrong. Thihgs were rather better now, but wc neglected far too much the personal. touch"wit!i those responsible for Colonial administration. - We bad before us the difficult aiid inspiring pfoblem of ofganising tho forces of the (Empire; of establishing cohesion wherever identity of interests made it possible. Closer union. was compatible with tho preservation of individuality and autonomy in all local affairs:

THE HOLBORN FIRE,

The busiest, part.of Holborh wiis tllo scene of a. firo. which broke out on tho premises of Messrs. A. W. Gain age (Limited) shortly boforo midday latterly. Happily, no lives wero lost, and Uio. liremen soon lmd tho llanies under control, but not before damage estimated roughly at ' £30,000 had been caused. . ■

The outbreak occurred in the stock-room of the' photographic department, which is in the part of the premises how called the "old buildings," iii contrast to the block recently completed a few yards away, and was noticed about, eleven^ o'clock. The tremendous heat caused tho Windows to bo blown out with a loud report, and at 'first there were rumours Of an. exp.ldsiqq.. Some six or seven hundred employees were at the Mme engaged iu the

building, owing to tho fnetihat tho annual Christmas bazjiar was about to be opened, bo far as possible, tlloso hot working on tho third _ floor—whero tho firo broke out—were kept iii ignorance of the outbreak, with the result, that tho work of getting all tho people out of the burning building was made somewhat easier;. Somebody— a born leader; evidently—sliouied ''This way for the show," with the, intention of leading the girls, to imagine that, a procession was! passing along the street and thus hurrying them ;to tho staircases; .

Policeriieii stood at corners of,the stairways arid hustled the girls down. .AVheri the cause. 6f .tjie' rush became known it was too lacS for liny display of nervousness or panic to be da.iigdfdusi,aiijl, nlthdugli several girls became hysterical, tho. building Was emptied with. Astonishing, speed; Once safely .oiit of the building the. girls word taken, 'iiatless arid without coats fdr. their protection from ,rain,_iii£6 tho office's of the -Prudential Assurance , .Company. /■ They, were given shelter dii the top floor arid served with cups of tea. . Many of .them had left tlieif .purses 'in the building, even their boots,-,arid, later .the, da.r nidn cariio jntri the Prudential offices bearing armfiils of wraps and personal belongings; collected haphazard and iii haste from- the burning -building-..' . \,■ , By .this tinio the alarm had ,b"eeri given from the. street,station',- arid withiri ten miiiutes of tho outbreak", escapes, ladde'rs, efe /fillies, and hose carts'.were oil,the scene. The.fiatrids were now bursting from, all thd winddws of, the iippot storey; arid volumes of dense, black smri.kc rolled up .into the leadejihued sky; ;The .h'eat waS so -intense tliat the firemen found: it, impossible . to. rear their escaped against^tlie frdrit.of the-, building. The new dxtensiori ladder's; or-, "water towers," as jthey aro termed, wefe dccord'rigly .brought into operation, .and, a fireman I-mounted tlid Swaying,- ffagileVlookmp: ladder, J'hich bent BSneatji his weight, and froiri thd topmost rungs poured toil,i.of water into the', heart of the firo. Aboiit 300 men, under the command of Captain Gamble,' we're at work, attacking .the fiaines from all Sides. lii Hdlbbrri_ aii immense crowd assembled, despite tlie fairi; And a large force of police wdrd hastily Sijrnnioned to' keep the roadway clear; traffic was diverted,- arid ', the 1 broad thorpugljfare" ,gaVe tlie- firdnidn iii opportunity t-o iharibeuvre the towers arid escapes. , . - , ■ , j' a spectacle Uid fire was magnificent'; A large quantity of celluloid material was stored .iii thiv building, and 1 as this flamed $ emitted a pungent, acrid • sradkri', which hung iii the. damp, iriioiit air, arid at tihies obliterated tlid building. Then a puff of; wind would cause this curtain to Shift Slightly, and one caught, siglit of a glitter-' mg helmet at a window or the diiply' outlined foriri of a man apparently hanginn: in mid-any manipulating a nozzle from which " poured, only .to vanish into the .abvss df smokd and flame;. ' : ,' Froni - the Jdwering buildings, of the PrudcntiSl Assurance Comfiariy eight or nine' l e A s ,.FPT.® ; at .s o rk, including that of. tho eompariy.s <i\v'n private'bnsrade.As time we'nt rin.it became evident that the'masS df lvjter being poured oil.tlid .fliimes was taking effect, biit it .was a,stiff fight. °