BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 4, 5 January 1907, Page 14

BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

SPECTATOR SUMMARY(For the -weßk ending 10th November, 1906.) WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. The Wireless Telegraphy Conference at Berlin was concluded on Friday week, and the Convention was signed by the •representatives of the Powers on Saturday. The controversy centres on Clause 111., which provides that coast stations and ships shall be obliged to exchange messages without regard to th* system of wireless telegraphy employed by them. The British delegates insisted that the contracting parties should be allowed to exempt as many stations as they pleased if they provided adequate substitutes. Germany and the United States renounced this right, and have further bound themselves to extend compulsory intercommunication to messages between one ship and another. If our representatives, especially the representatives of the Admiralty, are satisfied with th« arrangement come to, then we have nothing to say. We undoubtedly to some extent I abandon the advantage of priority which we possess, but there is much to be said foT the view that if such priority con only be obtained by giving one system a monopoly, it is a doubtful benefit. At the same time, the primary question is strategic, .and it is the business of the Admiralty to decide wheth-Si 1 Imperial security will not be endangered under a system regulated by international conventions. We are glad to see that the whole matter is to be discussed in Parliament before the Convention is ratified. MOROCCO'S BANDIT KING. The effective ruler of Morocco is still Raisuli. He has settled himself in Arzila, where he is hunting for lost property and restoring confidence, and has announced that ho will not leave till he is formally appointed Baeha. Meanwhile in TangieT his men have constituted themselves as the guardians of order, and arrest prisoners without the sanction of the Makhzan officials. Last Saturday they seiasd the pump-house of the Spanish Electric Light Company, who had refused to pay them blackmail, and plunged the town into darkness — an act in flagrant j violation, of all treaties. On Monday the French cruiser Galilee arrived at the harbour, and when hor launch attempted to land it was bombarded with stones by the mob. Lawlessness in Morocco has evidently reached a climax. The Sultan's officials are powerless to Te&train either Raisnli or the mob. Raisuli has authority, but exercises it for illegitimate purposes, while the mob, as in the Galileo incident, are being allowed to cultivate their anti-foreign proclivities. It is clearly incumbent on France and Spain, whose ships aTe now lying at Tangier, to take immediate steps to organise the police and re-establish order. AMERICAN~POLITICS. On Tuesday ttie American State elections took place. As a result, the Republicans still retain their control in the House of Representatives, but by a considerably reduced majority. In New Yotlc State most of the Republican "ticket" were defeated, but Mr. Hughs succeeded in defeating Mr. Hearst for the Governorship by a majority of*about 55,000 votes. Considering the extreme opposition to the latter candidate by all the respectable classes of the community, from the President downwards, his defeat by so narrow a margin shows both the reality of his power and the depth of the grievances which he professes to remedy. He was only defeated at all because the conntiy at large believes that the' President is equally earncet for Tcform, and that his way is the safer. We aro glad to see that the New York Ptcss of both parties has drawn the right moral. The result, it argues, is rather "sobering" than stimulating, and Mr. Hughes has declared that "his feeling is not one of elation, but of responsibility." Mr. Hearst still remains a vigorous and dangerous force in American politics, and he can only be kept out of power if better men undertake to lead in the re- j forms which he promises. REFORMS IN -CHINA. On Tuesday an important Edict was issued at Peking making a rearrangement of the higher offices of State. Tho reform aims at keeping the old number of Departments, but uniting several minor ones \and cirating some new offices. A new Board of Communications for example, has been established, a BoaTd of War takes the place of the former Council of Army reorganisation, and a new Board of tho Interior" absorbs the Police and other Depaxtiucnts. In future, too, every board will be under one president and two vice-presidents instead of the present bewildering multiplicity of officials. So faT, the reforms ore all in the direction of administrative efficiency. It is worth noting, however, that the new Board of Communication involves, the transfer of tho Postal Ser- ■ vice from the Maritime Customs, which is a breach ,of the recent undertaking of China at the Postal Conference. A ■further Edict has been issued dealing ■with local administration. ' It is pointed out -that the people are not yet tready for local self-government, but the Provincial Vioeroys are asked to consider what steps may be taken towards that end. THE NEW HEBRIDES. The text of the New Hebrides Convention has been issued as a Parliamentary Paper, and was published in the newspapers on Thursday. Th-a Agreement, which confrrms the provisional protocol signed last February, is a development of the Anglo-French Agreement of 1887, which provided for the protection of life and property by a Joint Naval Commission. Under the present Convention an Anglo-French condominium is established, thesis-lands being administered jointly by two High Commission'Srs appointed by the two Powers, and a joint court is to be established oonsdstdtng of three judges^ of whom ono is to be British, one French, while the third, as well as the Public Prosecutor, must be subjects of some other Power, and are to bo appointed by the King of Spain. Tho convention further provides for tho creation of municipalities on the application of not_ lees than thirty non-nativo adults residing in tho eamo district. The good points of tho convention are sufficiently obvious. Tho New Hebrides cease to be a sort of No-inaji's-land ; the interference of a third Power is excluded ; while the establishment of a- penal settlement or the erection of fortifications by the French is prevented. On the other hand, thtt working out in practice of the new arrangement may possibly profit the French more than the British; while the fact that th® Federal Government of Australia was not consulted -until after the conference had been held has created a fooling of strong xosentnwmt in Australia. As it is well put by Ta« 'rimes in a temperato letting article, "Australians regard tho Now Hebrides, and for the matter of that New Caledonia, as otttliers of Australia which onglit to bo British if Australians bad in the past been able to influence Imperifll policy." PRIVILEGED UNIONS. On Friday week the House of Commons proceeded with the consideration of the Trade Disputes Bill. Th© rights of picketing and persuasion given by Clause 11. woro conferred on individual employers and ftrms, as well to upon combinfttipi*.,aad.tho^word»^'p§^Ably.

and in a reasonable manner" were struck out. On Monday, Clause 111. which permits interference with the business of another man during a trade dispute, was considered, and Mt. Lyttelton and Lord Robert Cecil endeavoured in vain to secure the introduction of any new safeguards. Then came Clause IV., which^ gives complete immunity to associations of workers or employers from actions for tort. Sir F. Banbury moved its omission, and Mr. Lyttelton pointed out that the clause did much more than Testore the state of the law which was believed to exist before the Tatf Vale case. The Attorney-feneral accused the present Opposition of inconsistency in having abandoned their 1875 attitude— a charge which, coming from Buch a quarter, is courageous indeed. An amendment was carried leaving out the words "for the recovery of damages," so that it will in the future be impossible to obtain an injunction against a trade union. The sentence dealing with the liability of trustees was amended, and after a motion by Mr. Lambton to limit the operation of tho clause to parlies immediately concerned in trade disputes had been rejected, th* Bill was ordered for third reading. It would be difficult to imagine anything more feeble and illogical than j the Government defence. Their one argument, was an appeal to the imaginary pre-Tafi-Vale golden age, an argument which is nothing better than sheer reaction and the abnegation of a statesman's duty. MR. BALFOUR ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION. On Friday week Mr. Balfour was entettained at dinner by the members of the 1900 Club, and made a speech on the political outlook. He found in the recent municipal elections the evidences of a great reaction. Passing to a survey of the Government's measures, he declared that the Education Bill "pleased nobody, and least of all its own supporters" ; the Merchant Shipping Bill was good, in its way, but wholly inconsistent with Free-Trade ; while the Plural Voting Bill was 6imply a device to disfranchise opponents. The Trade Disputes Bill was defended by people who admitted that they did not approve of it; while the Scottish Small Holders Bill introduced the worst features of theold Irish land system into Scotland — a system which the Government were spendin glarge sums to put an end to. The Government had declared that they were committed to social reform ; but this was not social reform, it was class legislation. The Bills w«re ill-thought-out, ill-conceived, and impracticable, an unlovely mixture of ambition and incompetence. The Cabinet contained many men of high ability, but there was no real co-operation or sense of corporate responsibility, and if they did not learn this lesson in time, the reaction against them would spread. "A Government which governs so little, but which is yet so powerful, is a real public dangeT." | "THE MAN FOR GALWAY." Mr. Stephen Gwynn was returned as a Nationalist member for the borough of | Galway on Saturday last by a majority of 424 over his opponent, Captain Shawe-Taylor, one of the chief supporteTS of the Dunraven scheme of Devolution. Mr. Gwynn, who is a distinguished man of letters, and who in the past has often, contributed to these columns, will fio doubt in many ways make an excellent member of Parliament ; and since there are bound to be Nationalists in I the House, we do not in the least regret his election. We must, howeveT, point out how gross is the scandal of any member being returned to Parliament who has not even received a thousand votes. With such an electoral anomaly before their eyes as that involved in the return of a member to Parliament by so minute a constituency as Galway, it seems incredible that the Liberals should think it right to force through the Plural Voting Bill without giving any guaiantee that the plural voting involved in towns like Galway should not go unamended. In reality, though nob in name, tho voter in Galway is armed with something like twenty times the electoral power possessed by a voter in Wandsworth or the Romford division of Essex, and yet not a single Liberal voice is lifted against so gross an injustice. We are told, of course-, that because the Liberals cannob see their way to do electoral justice to England it is no reason why they should not get rid of another electoral injustice in the shape of plural votes. That is the merest piece of political sophistry. All practical politicians know that Redistribution Bills are hated by both sides of the nouse, and that there is not the slightest" chance of our obtaining electoral justice for England unless the abolition of plural voting is made conditional on the reduction of the over-representation of Ireland. If the late Government could nob be induced to reduce the Irish overrepKsentation, though ib was their plain duty a3 Unionists to do so, what possible chance is there of this Government giving to England the foTty extra members who belong to her, provided that they have passed the Plural Voting Bill? In this matter both political parties are extraordinarily nnscrupulous^ and the -only chance of the country receiving justice is that the passage of the present Bill shall be made conditional on an impartial scheme of redistribution. THE POPLAR EXPERIMENT. The Report of Mr. Davy, the Chief Inspector of tho Local Government Board", who held the enquiry into the Poplar Union, was published -as a Bluebook on Thursday evening. It brings; out very clearly ths Tesults of the first definite attempt made in this country to apply in practice the chief principles' of Socialism. The effects in Poplar of tho policy of lavish outdoor relief were exactly those which could have been predicted, and, indeed, were predicted by all students of the Poor Law Report of 1834. Indiscriminate State aid to the poor not only called into existence and perpetuated the system of casual labour, but operated to keep down wages. Wo are glad to note, what we were sure would be the case, that tis far as his private Honour and probity are concerned, Mr. Will Crooks is entirely exonerated by the report. This, however, only makes the lesson of Poplar more poignant. The terrible- evils disclosed were nob due to corruption or maladministration on the part of those who controlled the Poplar Board, but to Poor administration on Socialistic principles. It is a most striking example, and one the significance of which will, we tTust, , bo noted bjr the nation.

For some time past the perils of tho' kiss have 'been set for on by authorities on hygiene; and now, in the United an unsuspected danger has been discovered. A recent epidemic of hay fever is reported to have originated from kissing a grass widow.