ARRIVAL OF THE SAN FRAN CISCO MAIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3625, 21 August 1901, Page 3

ARRIVAL OF THE SAN FRAN CISCO MAIL.

Per Press Association

AUCKLAND, August 20. The mail steamer Sierra arrived from

San Francisco at 7.15 p.m. The steamer was delayed for 27 hours at Honolulu, -and ten hours at Pago Pago, landing cargo. GENERAL SUMMARY OF NEWS. (Dates to. San Francisco, August Ist-.)

Business at San Francisco is suffering

from, the- strikes, which have. - assumed .serious and most threatening proportions. The latest feature" is the calling out of the men of Water-front Federation, because of their sympathy with the Brotherhood of Teamsters, already out. The membership of the City Front Federation i 3 estimated to be 16,000 men. Thess were called out by adoption of a resolution at a meeting on July 29th, which was as follows:—; "The full membership of the City Front Federation refuses to work at the docks of San Francisco, Oakland, Port Costa, . and that the Mission Rock steamera Boniti -and Walawalla, with mails and passengers, now in the stream, will be allowed to go to sea." Every delegate present- at the meeting .voted in favour of the strike. Tie result is a-temporary embarrassment • of the shippixig_at -§an .Francisco such as has never irnbwnterore. The Federation had made threats, and its action was not altogether unlooked for. In connection with the teamsters' strike.it calls out about 20,000 men, and 20,000 more are idle in consequence of the strike, though not concerned in it. News of the strike -was greeted with cheers at the headquarters of the various unions interested. The police have taken etxraordinary measures

in preparation for this strike, and tire department is confident of being able to - maintain peace despite tlie danger of having idle so large a body of men in the water front- district. It is declared that there will-be no danger of a. coal famine for some time. The fruit-growers will be sufferers, as it will be impossible to ship any more fruit in large lots at present. The Municipal League made a great effort to conciliate employers and employees, - but with no effect. All conferences with regard to the ending of the great strike of steel-workers hare thus far resulted in failure and disappointment. -The national officers of the Amalgamated Association of Workers met in New York on July 29th, and arranged

peace proposals, which it was expected would be acceptable to both parties. The Executive Board of the Association met at Pittsburg on July 30th, and failed to ratify the plan which had been' agreed npon by the officials. Messrs Morgan, Schwab and Garry, representing the United States Steel Corporation, in-opening union I 1 mills to non-union men is the point on which agreement cannot be readied. The long-distance telephone between New York and Pittsburg was used repeatedly in the attempt to secure modification of the plan proposed by the United States Steel Corporation, but uselessly. The workmen claim that- the acceptance of this clause would give mill-owners full opportunity to crush Union workmen without a strike by finding excuses to discharge Union workmen and filling their places with nonunionists. Another point of contention is said to be the retention in their present positions of men who worked as " strikebreakers" at the various mills during the strike. It is said that these men have been promised the protection of manufacturers in case of settlement, and' that owners will not concede their dismissal at the request of the organisation. The workers, it is said, are willing to declare the mills now working non-union open mills, but object to having' all mills of the combination declared open mills. It is further declared on good authority that the real canse of failure *to effect a sect'ement i" that there are two pron<»r:>ced elements found in the make-up of the executive board of the Amalgamated Association. The conservative force is headed fry President Shaffer and Secretarv Williams. Others trust John Morgan and soma of the older and more experienced leaders are understood to- look with favour upon the propositions which have been . submitted. On their face thev say. these jnay ■ not appear' to be as "complete a vindication of the workers as was hoped for, but the possibilities for extending the influences of the Amalgamated Association through the mills of the corporation are manifold. The more radical element is largely made up of aggressive and younger men, who are understood to be anxious to hold out for more favourable terms. The -controversy between members of the Board though calmly conducted 13 said to be most difficult of adjustment. The conservatives will hold matters back in the hope that time for reflection may teach the radicals the wisdom of accepting, a compromise. It may be stated that the causa of the strike was actually aa effort on the part of the Carnegie Steel Company to run its mills half union and half non-union for the coming year, after which it- wa3 intended to make all mills non-union, including those which have recently been absorbed. The Carnegie mills have not employed union labour since 1892.. at the time of the great strike, while the National Steel Company, and American Steel Hoop Company recently absorbed have always employed union labour. At Pitsbur;*, the strike centre, it is felt that neither of the contending forces has suffered severely so far. The weather ha.s been exceedingly hot and the men look upon the last month of idleness as a needed vacation which has saved many lives. Figures show that the strike has caused a money loss of 6,500,000 dollars, the larger half of which is a,, loss to the combine: The loss will soon' be made tip owing to increased prices and improved * operating conditions. ....

A despatch' from New York says that the little South 'American Republic of Col-

umbia has insulted tha flag of the Kaiser of Germany aoid that serious international complications may follow. The HamburgAmerican line steamer Alleghany was held for twelve hours in the harbour of Savanilla and in spite of the protests of her captain, Abel Murillo, an insurgent, was taken from the ship, the German flag with which he sought to protect himself was torn from his hands as if it were a dirty rag and he was taken by force to prison. Murillo was secretary to General Uribe, the

insurgent leader. When the vessel arrived at Cartagena she was ordered to be de.tained by the authorities there. The captain protested that he was sailing under the German flag and that no official of Columbia had a right to stop the vessel •for. any purpose whatever. According to a signed statement by three of the Alloghany's passengers Murillo left the United States about four months ago on a passport signed by the Columbian Minister at Washington. On arrival at Savanilla he was arrested and taken to Bogata where he was released on the understanding that he would sail on the first- vessel for the United States. This he did, boarding the vessel at Savanilla. He expressed fears that he would be arrested at Cartagena and when he arrived at that port he refused to go ashore, when word was brought that the Governor wished to see him. Murillo's errand to Columbia was to carry a peace manifesto from General Uribe. It was necessary for some one to go in order to show the authority of the document, and Murillo undertook the duty. The feeling was very bitter against him and it is presumed that he will be imprisoned in the old Spanish prison at Cartagena which is below; the level of the seai and most; unwholesome. The matter has been laid before the German Government, but it is not yet known what action will be taken. Despatches from Berlin state that the weekly financial reviews " read like the confessions of national sin." The press is horrified at the disclosures of mismanagemsnt and worse, in the conduct of commercial concerns of high credit. Large speculations took place during the late boom in Germany, and it appears that the careful supervision of private affairs car- , ried on by the paternal Government of Germany is not more effective in preventing dishonesty than the scrutiny of creditors to which other peoples trust. It is likely, however, that the German method of punishing those who have practised dishonest methods of becoming rich will be sure and severe, and may act as a deterrent example which is needed in other lands quite as much as in the one where ife will be shown.

A despatch from Aden, Arabia, says that in a fight between the mad Mullah and the British on July 15th, the former was routed, leaving 70 killed. The British casualties were Lieut. Frederick and twelve men killed; Lieut. Dixon and twenty men wounded. It appears that trouble has been brewing a long time in the interior of the Somali country. On the coast where the influence of Colonel Hayes Sadler, the British Consul, extends, the natives are. friendly, buti inland the power of the British officials is small. The expedition, was delayed, because of Britain's hands being full in South Africa. Finally, it had to be made .up of native troops.undifr. Colonel Swavne and British, .officers. . The expedition's objective, which was not stated, , was undertaken amid-great dangers and difficulties, A despatch' from London, dated July 15th, says that in the House of Coin-m:-ns to-day the Financial Secretary of the Treasury, in dealing with the progress of the Pacific cable, said that several sectional cable-houses had already been eoijstiucted and sent out, and thas they were being erected at various places. The survey had been practically completed . over 100 miles of the proposed route, and the manufacture of the cable would begin this week. Mr Chamberlain said that landing sites had been-selected in Queensland, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, and at Vancouver, and that tie Cable Board was satisfied as to the ability of the contractors to complete the work by the end of ISO2.