HOME AND FOREIGN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5904, 24 October 1890, Page 3

HOME AND FOREIGN.

[Per Press Association —Electric -Telegraph —Copyright] (Received Oct. 24, 12.45 a.m.) London, Oct. 23. Mr Murphy cables from Victoria to Mr Tom Mann : " Strenuous efforts to crush Us. Don't yield. Certain ultimate success." Tho dockers in consequence are making increased efforts to aftbrd assistance.

The Free Association of Employers and Workmen of Hawke's Bay continues to make great headway, It now numbers li7l working members, and 183 guarantors to the protection fund, which has now reached the high total of L 13,840. A Wanganui resident, who is at present in Wellington, writes as follows :— " We heard a good deal in Wangauni about the state of Wellington owing to the strike, but I can assure you that ifc haa been understated. I never saw a place in such a deplorable condition. There appears to be no business doing at all, aud there are still hundreds of ; nen walking the streets." A Greymouth telegram of Wednesday says :— A private cable message' has been received here from Sydney stating : "The strikers are worsted ; 500 non-unionist miners are working the Newcastle mints." The Grey Valley Coal Company have received 80 applications for work at the mines. Work is expected to be resumed at the Greymouth mines at the beginning of November. Free laborers are being engaged. The mines will be worked by day labor and not by piecework as formerly, tho wages being as follows :— " Experienced miners, 12s a day j truckers anu road aud surface men, 10s. All men approved of will be guaranteed i'l months' employment. The contract system may be resorted to in some descriptions of mine work if that course is deemed necessary, but not for tnc coal hewing. A iut of applications have beeu received, but aone from the Brunner men. Ail is quiet at the mines. There is considerable interest in the coming election, especially respecting the labor candidates. In the Queensland Parliament on the 10th iust., the labor difficulty was incidentally touched upon, when a member sought to get a tabulated return of ail applicants for the position of common hangman for the past three years, which, he alldged, would contain the name of a prominent labor leader, who had made an attack upon members of Parliament. At a mass meeting that individual described certain members as thieves, vagabonds, and robbers. The motion provoked an unseemly cross-fare of personalties, which compelled the Speaker to interfere and call the excited members to order. The discussion evoked the mention of a particular labor leader, but the Speaker checked any digression from the question, and the debate collapsed. The production of the >roturn was refused by an almost unanimous vote. According to the forecasts of agricultural journals, tho harvest in England this year will not be far below the average. Much corn is beaten down and tho blight has appeared in Dorsetshire. Owing to a strike of laborers in Norfolk, the farmers and their friends have agreed to assist each other at harvest, and the grain will be threshed in the field to save staokiug.

Something approaching to a panic was recently caused in the South Australian Assembly by the Commissioner for Crown Lands (Mr Howe) informing the Houso that the contingent liabilities in connection with payment for squatters improvements under the Act of 1884 would be nearly L 3,000,000. It was only by accident that he made tlio discovery. He had occasion to interview the Surveyor-general who gave him this intelligence, which astonished and startled him as much as it could any hon. member of the House. Up till now ho had shared the general opinion that the outstanding liabilities for compensation for improvements could not amount to more than LIOO,OOO. Members were absolutely struck dumb by this statement until one or two rose and said they sincerely hoped there was some mistake with regard to these liabilities, which, if real, utterly dwarfed the existing deficit of L 1,000,000. Mr Play ford, the leader of the Opposition, said ho believed that there was some mistake, as he could not believe that the squatters had recently expended between L 2,000,000 and L 3,000,000 on permanent improvements. Mr Howe, in reply, said the figures had been carefully prepared by the Surveyor-General. He allowed that matters were very serious., and he considered that means should be taken to abrogate the law of 1884, under which compensation is claimed, even if an especial long tenure has to be granted to the squatters in Exchange. — (Cheers.) It would be necessary to plate an additional L 250,000 on the nest loan in order to meet immediate demands for compensation. — (Sensation.) Afc Christchurch a family in a very poor way — husband a confirmed invalid, wife keeping the family — quite unable to pay, had a bailiff put in tor rates due, 225. The City Council heard of it, ordered fehe bailiff to be withdrawn, and the 22s was subscribed among thorn to pay the rates.