Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, APRIL 24th, 1914. ROYAL VISIT TO FRANCE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 April 1914, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, APRIL 24th, 1914. ROYAL VISIT TO FRANCE.

TiikTcordiality of the reception being tendered the King and Queen in France is as marked as it is significant of the good-will now existing between England and the Republic—a condition which finds concrete form in the L'Entente C'ordiale which has done so much to preserve the peace of Europe during recent years. The Republican authorities having determined that the visit should in every respect be a notable one, devoted themselves to devising a plan of festivities in keeping with the memorable occasion. Their Majesties, according to recent English files, were to reside either at the magnificent Elysee or the Louvre as the guests of the French nation. The programme included a banquet at the Ely see, a gala performance at the Opera, and a reception at the Hotel de Ville. There was also a suggestion that their Majesties should be entertained to a State luncheon at the Palace of Versailles. The greatest feature arranged, however, was th?. review of the garrison of Paris at Vinceuves, which, our caldes inform us to-day, proved a magnificent success. For this spectacular display ve learn that unprecedented preparations had been made, It had

been arranged that at this great military tournout the most remarkable display was going t j be one in which 120',000 troops of all arms, with a wild French cheer, the sound of galloping hoofs, • and the thunder of field guns, would corie careering over the parade ground m\a headlong charge upon the Royal stand, dramatically pulling up less than 100 yards away. Sir Edward Grey accompanies rhe King and Queen, and this announcement gave great satisfaction in French diplomatic circles. It it many years since a British Foreign Secretary has been officially on French soil. Naturally it has lead to a discussion on the question of converting the Entente into an Alliance, but the trend of opinion at present seems decidedly opposed to the alteration. Both in France and England the idea is subscribed, to that the change would not render the Entente —in reality the Triple Entente since Russia, is also a, partner to it—more powerful than at present in maintaining the peace of Europe;, an alliance might mistakeably be regarded by the Triple Alliance, as presaging aggressive action, which, however,, is not intended.

HUGE LABOR COMBINATION. The present is essentially a period of combination; of big amalgamations",in Labor as well as in capitalistic concerns. In the matter of co-operation, the traders are far ahead of the workers, but the latter are now taking united action the world over. To-day's cables relate an important move in this connection, a. conference, representing 729,000 members of the Miners' Federation, 300,000 members of the National Transport Workers and 370,000 members of the National Union of Railwaymen, having appointed a sub-commit-tee to draft a combined working agreement. This gives added import to an article which appeared in the London "Standard" on April 15th and excerpts from which were, cabled to Australia. In the course of: its statement, the "Standard", asserted that there was a gigantic conspiracy on the part of the syndicalists to bring about a general strike, either in the uutumn or at the. beginning of next year, with the object of securing an advance of 5s per week for all workers. The authors of .the scheme, the paper declares, were audaciously planning simultaneous strikes among the miners, railway men, and telephone workers, supported by as many skilled and unskilled trades as can be induced to join in the movement. By • paralysing British trade and imperilling the country's prosperity the syndicalists confidenlty reckon .that the employers will be forced to yield. .The "Standard" asserts that the plan is.that the seamen shall open a campaign in June or July for the abolition of the employment of Asiatics in ship* trading to western waters, and also improved shipping conditions. Then the land workars are to make a demand for' uniform conditions at all the docks and wharves, and if these are not granted a, strike will be declared, in which the railway men will be involved. If the troops are called out the "dont-shoot-your-brothers" argument will be used, it being the full intention of the extreme Labourites to take advantage of the precedents set by army officers in Ulster. It is further declared that the Syndicalist leaders contemplate bringing about a complete national stoppage of work on May Day.

VOTES FOR TERRITORIALS. One important issue in connection with the forthcoming Mayoral elections has puzzled the authorities, . i.e., the disfranchisement of a large number of Territorials now in camp at Kowai, near Springfield. The question is: Can these men vote? Even the lawyers disagree on thp point. We find, however" that the Returning Officer for the Borough of Timaru has been lavish in his provision of polling places for the municipal elections, more than twice as many as the Act requires being included on his list. Number fifteen on the list of sixteen polling places is described in these words : "Tent at Territorial military camp, Kowai, Mount Torlesse." In arranging for a booth at the camp' the returning officer appears to be flying in the face of the opinion given by the Crown Law Officers, to the effect that polling places cannot be established outside a borough except in the case where the public" office of a borough is situated outside the borough boundaries- This opinion appears to be based on a section of the municipal corporations report but the advice on which the Timaru 'Returning Officer is relying has, says a local journal, been framed m accordance with the Local Elections and Polls Act, which may be read as giving verv wide powers to the Returning Officer. That gentleman naturally is "not prepared to show his hand, his business at the moment being merely to appoint a polling booth, but municipal authorities who are familiar with Mr. William )loliffe's notes on legislation relating/to local bodies wiremember that lie takes the view that the Returning Officer may nominate, any number 1 of polling booths above the minimum required by law and that additional booth.s may be placed outside the district affected by a local election. An interesting point in connection with the question of disfranchisement _ of Territorials was mentioned to a Timaru reporter by a gentleman who takes a keen interest in municipal politics. He said that he had received word from a friend in another centre where the mayoral contest is expected to be keen, that some members of the Territorial force were securing exemption from the April camp in order that they might stay at home to vote. A careful campaigner had attended to the matter and made sure that keen voters would not be disfranchised. Of course, the matter remains in the realm of uncertainty, but now that the defect has been discovered, it becomes the duty of the Government to introduce amending legislation next sessipn whereby these young men, who are serving their country faithfully and well, will not bo debarred from exercising the franchise.