SENT TO GAOL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1190, 21 December 1894, Page 11

SENT TO GAOL.

Washington, December 15

Debs, leader of the late strike, has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for defying the Judge’s injunction in connection with that strike. Washington, December 16. In addition to the sentence imposed upon Debs of three months’ imprisonment for his part in the railway strike, other leaders connected, with the strike have been sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. We receive this news with genuine regret, as the leader of the railway strike is too good a man to be shut up in gaol. The Law Courts must of course be obeyed, but in matters of this sort the enforcing of obedience should be prompt. Debs led unchained forces which he found it hard to control, but ho also ventilated ideas which will bear fruit in the shape of preventive legislation. The American people will before longf realise that it is easier to compel industrial arbitration than it is to control masses of men let loose, and the speeches of Debs, and such as he, will have a great part in bringing about that very desirable resalt.

The usual weekly meeting of the Tr.;d s Couru il : was held last week, Mr A. Collins in. the chair. A letter was read from the Southland, Trades, Council asking if the regulations under - fihe-feulnstxiak Cop eilia-r----tion and Arbitration Act had yet been drawn up, and suggesting that the Wellington Trades Council should name a candidate for the Court of Arbitration, The secretary was directed to send all the information ia the Council’s possession with reference to the Act.-

A special general meeting of the Wellington Typographical Society was held in the Exchange Hall on Saturday night. Mr R. E. Vauey (president) occupied the chair, and there was a large attendance of members. The meeting was called by the Board of Management to consider certain statements reflecting on the board contained in Mr D. P. Fisher’s letter resigning his office of president. Mr Fisher had said he was certain that on reflection the board, must feel they had committed a grave error of judgment"- r in allowing his report of -his 'tour ' through the country districts to 4 remain in abeyance, and for such a long ‘' time. Mr Fisher’s report of his tour and his letter of resignation were first read, after which a lengthy report from the board in defence of their treatment of Mr Fisher was submitted. Mr Fisher addressed the meeting at some length in _ reply to the board’s statement, and after a lengthy debate the report of the board was unanimously adopted by the meeting. The annual mooting of the Amalgamated Society of Railway, Servants was held at the Railway Hotel on Saturday night. The President (Mr D. Skinner) occupied the chair, and there was a full attendance of members.

The following officers; were elected for the ensuing term President, Mr J. Smith; vice-president, -Mr •D. Skinner; treasurer, Mr J. Thomas secretary, r Mr G. Hunt; trustees, Messrs ‘Wood, Waters and Connett ; -auditors, Messrs McSwiney and Whitim. The election of the committee was adjourned to the next meeting, it being considered advisable to communicate with country members before electing these officers. : - .

Mr J. Mackay, of the Department of Labour, has just returned from a trip up the West Coast as far as New Plymouth, which was undertaken for the purpose of instructing the various local inspectors in the provisions of recent labour legislation, defining the boundaries of factory districts in the Taranaki district, and communicating with the local authorities of the different townships as to the special order required to fix the weekly holiday. In most cases it is expected that the present half-holiday will be continued. Very few bona fide working men appear to be unemployed in the Taranaki district.