THIS TAFF VALE DECISION.

North Otago Times, 6 August 1903, Page 4

THIS TAFF VALE DECISION.

Tho Secretary of the Inverness United Trades Council wrote tho other day to tho Attorney-General for England in. referenco to. the recent decision of the House of Lords in the Taff Vale railway dispute, and asked how . the decision alfected the funds of trades societies avowing that tho decision placed tho entire funds of a trade society in jeopardy, as by .the action of any official ,who carelessly or ignorantly committed an irresponsible act, the wholo funds of that particular union were liable to be seized, Sir Robert Finlay has replied, stating that tho-subject was ono of very great importance, and that any representation proceeding from tho. council must always receive his most careful and sympathetic consideration. Thero was & great deal of niis-. conccption as to tho effeot cf the Taff Vale decision, and the secretary's letter appeared to. imply that the funds of any trade union might bo made liar bio "by the action of any official who carelessly or ignorantly commits any irresponsible aot." Tho decision has no such effect. Tho fund's of a trade union could be liable for the apts of its officials only when they noted within tho scopo of tho authority committed to them. 111 tills matter the. general law of the land applied to tvade unions as well as to all other associations and persons in the. United Kingdom', The master was not liable for tjie'inip* ■ thorised act of his servant if it was dono for tho servant's own purposo and outside the' scopo of his employment; but lie was liable i£ tho act was committed in relatipiv to his sorvipo and in tho interests, real" or supposed, of tho master, Ho thought the Trades Council would agree with him in thinking that it would bo difficult or im« possible to cany; through Earliament any statute which was intended to confer in this matter on trade unions an immunity not enjoyed by the rest of his Majesty's subjects,

rrr .ss TEE UGANDA RAILWAY.

Tho Uganda railway is now practically finished. A]] the steel viadnots for tho railway, including' tno 27 bridges from tho United States; have beon finished. As a result of the completion of tho railway, great commercial dovoloprnont is taking plaoe. Italian, German and Indian tihns are opening up branches in East Africa and Uganda, aud bpth Indians and Italians are plaoing trading vessols on Lako Victoria, on which a German trading schooner also plies, Round Nairobi, the head quarters of tho Uganda railway, great progress is being made in tho cultivation of potatoes, 40 to 60 tons of which are exported! tc/ South Africa every month. Hitherto these were obtained in' South Africa from Portugal and Central America. ' '

Tho steamer Winifred, which mado her trial trip 011 the Victoria Nyanza a few days ago, is one of two twin-screw steamships put together at Port Florence, the lake terminus, by the Uganda railway staff, and is intended for mail, passenger aud cargo service on tho lake. These ships wore built at Paisley and erected 011 the shores of Lake Victoria. They arc 175 feet long' with 0 feot draught. Hitherto there has been 110 adequate passenger accommodtition on the lals, the only steaiii waiMle being two or three small launches, of whteh ofily ono Vvas abio to cross the open water; At presenb there is a tlirongh train in eadi direction between Mombasa and Port Flpronco twice weekly; and tho new •stealers will run across the lake"in connection with tho up and down trains as trafho demands, The latest returns jSlhw that Hid earnings from public trailio amount to £3 p,or mile por week or about £lboo for Eho entire lino weekiV'.. At .present the- working of tlie. railway is fjtfltcd t-o represent a. saving to the Uganda aud East Africa pr<£ .toctorates of £35,000 per annum in tronsport.expenses.

POISON MYSTERY IN AMERICA.

It Was reported; from Philadelphia recently that the police having obtained evidence loading to tho belief that a negro herb doctor named Georgo Hossey, who bad been arrested, was responsible for a great number of deaths from poisoning, lmd, ordered .tho opening of thirty-four graves. Hossey was accused of selling poisons to varbus persons by lpeans of which thoy were enabled to poison others slowly.

| ( Tlio Bay Motor Company, ijWMch has been sUrtoclto run a motor«ti' semco bptweon: Napier and Taradale,is briuging out its first ipassengor ■® ar -.Dy tho Orient liner Orita, The taodel is of the latest 1903 pattern. For Broachlal Cough, t»V? Wood •'Brut Peppermint U fid e&i S -Hnimikm *