LONDON GOSSIP.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 109, 10 May 1909, Page 3

LONDON GOSSIP.

* NOTES AND COMMENTS. CROWN COLONIES ANH PREFERENCE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 26th March. - The moot point as to whether a Free-trade Government will allow Crown Colonies to enter into preferential trade agreements was referred to by me a few weeks ago. Mr. A. Fell, M.P., a New Zealander, asked the Government on Tuesday whether any of the Crown Colonies gave any preference to goods from the United Kingdom, and, if not, why they did not give at any rate the minimum preference given by the self-governing colonies. Colonel Seely replied : There has never been any question of preference to goods from the [Tnited Kingdom imported into the Crown Colonies and protectorates. Their tariffs are arranged for revenue purposes, and there would seem to be no reason for seeking to impose on them such preferential treatment of the Mother Country as in some instances' has been accorded voluntarily by self-governing dominions and colonies. The only exception is that of the protectorates in South Africa, which must necessarily follow the regulations of the South Africa Customs Union, of which they are members. Air. Fell : Is there any legal or Parliamentary difficulty why the Crown Colonies should not fall into line? Colonel Seely : It is not a question of legal difficulty ; but there has never been any question of imposing such an arrangement upon them. Sir Gilbert Parker : If a Crown Colony offered preference with the Mother Country, would the assent of the Home Government have to be received in order to secure it? Colonel Seely : Certainly, sir. t REDUCED IRISH EMIGRATION. The Report of the emigration statistics of Ireland for 1908 shows that tho total number of emigrants who left trish ports during the year was 23,952. Of the total, 10,970 were males and 12,982 were females, the number of natives of Ireland being 23,295. In comparison with previous years — since 1851 — the number of emigrants (natives oi Ireland) in 1908 is the lowest on record, and represents a rate of 5.3 per 1000 of the population of Ireland, the lowest rate recorded in previous years being 7.0 per 1000 in 1905, when 30,676 persons were reported to have emigrated. • In 1908 the United States was the destination of 16,861, or 72.4 per cent, of the emigrants; 2906 came to England ; 2531 went to Canada, a decrease of 1765 compared with the number of 1907, while 148 went to South Africa, 607 to Australia, 126 to New Zealand, and 116 to "other countries." DAMAGE BY RATS. Sir James Crichton Browne is authority for the statement that there was one rat to every acre of land in England and Wales, and the damago wrought by them amounted to £15,000,000 per annum. Dealing with the importance of preventing the landing of rats from ships in this country, Sir James said there were three kinds of rats found in ships arriving here. There was a brown rat, very ferocious, caught in ships coming from the South of Ireland ; a creamy coloured rat, caught in ships coming from Norway ; and a black or plum-col-oured rat, comparatively small and timid, caught in ships from South Africa and New Zealand ANTI-SWEATING BILL. Mr. Churchill, in the House of Commons, asked leave to introduce a Bill to establish trade boards in certain trades. He said the central principle of the Bill was the establishment of trade boards in those trades where sweating prevailed, and the fixing of a minimum standard of wages and the enforcing by these boards of those wages when fixed. The trades which would be scheduled in the Bill, and to which it would at once apply,, were certain branches of the tailoring trade, and the Bill would be extended to other trades. Leave was given for the Bill to ba read a first time, without a division. BEAUTIFUL WOMEN OF BATH. One of the features of the historical pageant to be held at Bath in mid-July will be the attendance of beautiful women from other towns named Bath in various parts of the world. Twelve of the Baths in the United States were originally to be represented by twelve ladies. But Canada has entered into rivalry, and the two townships of Bath there also wish to be included. The selection of the twelve to be represented is to be made by the American Ambas sador, and the selection of the most beautiful girl to act as representative will be made by the community. W«s are told that "there will also probably be two women to represent the Baths in. Australia and New Zealand." THE REV. R. J. CAMPBELL AND SHOP ASSISTANTS. The Rev. R. J. Campbell attended a meeting of the Drapers' Chamber of Trade on Tuesday to explain his statement that "in some West End shop? the young women are paid such a miserable wage that they are expected, and, indeed, encouraged, to eke it out by the selling of their bodies." Mr. Campbell asked why the chamber had hastened to fasten the charge upon their own trade. "Drapery" was not mentioned at all. He did not expiessly exclude that trade, but he wished to make it clear that he included others as well. The worst of the abuses lay in the millinery trade, but it obtained to some extent wherever large bodies of young people, employed at n, comparatively low wage, were herded together in any quasi-barrack system under discipline. He had made no attack on the morality of shop assistants. He had no reason to believe that the vast majority of shop assistants were not perfectly reputable and moral. The question of prosecution was worth thinking about. If ever he did get an unimpeachable case he thought it would be worth while for them to consider whether they coiild not act together, The chairman said that the chamber appreciated Mr. Campbell's sincerity in the matter, and, if evidence was available by which they could stamp out encouraged immorality, they would be glad to do it. SOUTH AFRICA AND THE ARMY. All the South Afcrican Governments have now replied to the despatch of the Secretary of State for the (Monies forwarding the memorandum of Mr. Haldane upon the proposed establishment of an Imperial General Staff. Their answers care sympathetic, but they state that nothing can be done pending the accomplishment of South African Union. INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION. Lord Loreburn presided at the annual dinner of the International Arbitration League on Friday night. Those present included Herr yon Kuhlmann (Councillor of the German Embassy), Lord Weardale, Lord Kicnaird, Lord Farrer, Lord Glantawe, and several membej'f, of Parliament. The Lord Chancellor said he believed that before lone and, in good time at all events,

people would come to regard war as an outrage upon human nature, and unless it was imposed by the strictest necessity of self-defence, as one of the grossest crimes that could be committed against mankind. He thought it would, always be to the honour of the late Sir William Cremer, that in season and ont> of season and in utter scorn of criticism and hostility he upheld this cause and he would deserve to be remembered when the cause had secured its ultimate triumph. DESCENDANT OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. Mr. Andrew Selkirk, a descendant of Alexander Selkirk, who was the original of Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe," has just died at Cowden beath, Fife. He was an engineer by trade, and had himself, led a roving and adventurous life. He travelled extensively in Australia and New Zealand, taking part in the early rushes to the gold diggings. Like his famous ancestor, Selkirk could turn his hand to practically anything, and was the owner of much house property, which was all planned and largely built by himself. NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE. At the recent show of seeds, grains, and potatoes at Darlington, 'New Zealand had a veiy excellent display of the Dominion's nroduce, in charge of Mr. J. C. Morrison, from the High Commissioner'B office. The display attracted wide attention, so much co that one of the officials of the Darlington show was almost persuaded to exchange farming in •Yorkshire for New Zealand. CAiPTAIN COOK MEMORIAL. The Prince of Wales has become honorary chairman of tho General Committee formed to promote the erection in •London of a memorial in honour to Captain Cook, the great navigator and explorer. The proposal was originated by a letter from Sir Joseph Carrufchers, K.CM.G., ex-Prime Minister of New South Wales, -.»-hich appeared in the London press last November, urging that the capital of the Empire should not be without a monument to the man who lai:l the foundation of the present greatness of Australia and .New. Zealand. Tho subject was brought before the Executive Committee of the Bi-itish Empire (League by Mr. Herbert Samuel, iM.P. for the Cleveland District of ybrkchire, of which Cook was a fiative. A Provisional Committee was appointed, and has organised an exceedingly useful 'General Committee, of which Lord (Brassey has consented' to be treasurer, and which includes the Hon. W. HallJones, the Hon. W. Pember Reeves, Sir Westby Perceval, and Mr. William C. Dawe^ (New- Zealand Shipping Company).