THE EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 86, 4 January 1908, Page 12

THE EMPIRE.

NKWTOUNDLAND FISHERIES.

A message from Washington received at St.' John's, reports that the State Department there has recoivcd information that the United States steamer Gresham, which has been on the Treaty Coast in tho interests of tho American - fishing smacks, lias started for home. His Majesty's ship Brilliant, which was hero on the Same duty on behalf of British interests, left tho Colony some days ago. This proclaims that tho modus vivendi and the Order in Council, which were forced on the Colony by His Majesty's Government', have entirely failed in carrying out tho purposos for which they wore intended; that they are dead letters, in fact—rendered so by tho joint action of tho iishermon ■of the Treaty Coast and' tho f*fowfoundland Government, the peoplo whom Ris Majesty's ' Government professed that they wore in sympathy with having unanimously adopted Sir Robert Bond's proposal, which was so unwisely rejected' by tho United States Government and by the Imperial Government in September last. ; ! ' If that proposal had bcenaccepted it would have obviated a violation of the Constitution of a self-governing Colony; of which his Majesty's Government nave been, guilty, and have saved the Imperial Ministers the humiliation that the rejection of their' arrangements has entailed on them. Sir Robert Bond's working arrangement has secured such complete harmony that both the American and tho British fishery protection ships have left the Colony. INDIAN RAILWAY STRIKE. ... 1 : Six thousand passengers aro stranded at Asansol in consequence of tho railway strike. They include the agitator Bepin 1 Chandra Pal, who is being transferred to Buxar Gaol. It is reported at Asansol, under dato November 20, that the strikers aro threatening violence. Arrangements are' being mado to solid on tho mails and passengers by the. Bongal-N agpur Railway: The reports regarding tho shortage of coal in Calcutta are confirmed. So far there is no indication of a settlomont.' 1

Tho "Calcutta PreSs" considers that tho situation created by the strike is most serious, it being especially necessary, in view of tho famine, that supplies should be transported rapidly about tho country;.. ! The "Central News" Calcutta-correspon-dent teldgTaphs that tho strike has now extended to. Cawnporo and ; Jubbulpore. The latter place is regarded as the most important railway centre in India, being the junction for Bombay. Traffic is extensively disorganised everywhere,' and to make matters worse cholera • has broken .out, amongst' a number of stranded native passengers, at Asarisol, which is tho' headquarters of tho striko, three deaths having ali-eady betin re*; ported. Work in tho Goverhihofit offices in Calcutta is at a standstill through delay in the arrival of official,,papers from Sinila. The engine-drivers at Allahabad Went on striko after the departure of the Bombay and Punjab mails.' i . . Later news was to the effect that the military had had to bo called out to quell incipient disturbances. CANADA ANT) JAPAN. ' Mr. Lomieux, the Canadian PostmasterGeneral and Minister of Labour, who is now at Tokio to consult l with tho Japanese authorities ' regarding the Japanoso emigration to Canada, in an interview to-day, said:' —"I am not preparing for any change in-the existing' treaty, but I desire to reach an agreement with a friondly nation which will load to tho adoption of a programme for the future which will be beneficial'to both countries concerned.", ■ . • : The Japanoso Foreign Office has notified tho emigration companies that 406 Japanese will-bo allowed to enter. Hawaii in November and Decombor, and it is understood that tho Government intends to exerciso close supervision 'of thor.o going as students to San Francisco. ' There is reason to believe that considerable fraud has been praotiscd by registering labourers as students, this having escaped tho scrutiny of tho emigration inspectators. . . , V -Mr. O'Brien,, tho United States Ambassador, has had-an interview on the subject with Viscount Hayashi, Minister for • Foreign Affairs, who lias issued, most stringent in-, striictions to the- inspectors. Ho says_: — "Tho Japanese Government is considering tho advisability of stopping all emigration to tho United States and Canada for the

present\ on. tho ground that economic' conditions' render it. inadvisable for Japanese citizens to visit foreign countries unless thev aro ablo to show that they - aro amply selfsupporting.", • ; . ' Tho opposition journal, "Hoohi-Shimbunj" insists that the Government is tamely yielding'to foreign Powers, while at the samo time cleverly hiding tho fact from .tho public in Japan'' It-declares that the visit of Mr. Lemieux affords ( the best opportunity of solving the immigration question onco and for-all if it. is frankly handled. CALCUTTA RIOTS ENQUIRY. Tho telegraphic summary of tho official resolution in .which tho Lieutenant-Governor of . Bongal dealt.with tho report on tho recent riots in Calcutta, made no mention of Sir A; Eraser's remarks on tho unsatisfac-. Tory . way in which, lio considered, the enquiry had bceii. condtietc'd .by Mr. E. W. Collin, of the. liidiaii Civil Service, Commissioner of tho Presidency Division. After referring to the .actuations made, against the police, Sir A. Eraser Wrdto:— "TheSo charges s() Serious that the Lieuteiiafit-Govcrnor directed .Mr. Collin, tho Commissioner of the Presidency Divisionj to proceed at onco to Calcutta and enquire into 'them.. Mi\ Cojliii' met Itadha Charan Pal and Other Bengalis who had been collecting information regarding the alleged excesses by tho police, and questioned them, together' with tho persons whom thoy produced'in supplM't of tho allegations. The Lieutenant-Governor has now received Mr. Collin's report, which is appended to this resolution, together with his notes of the statements' of tho persons questioned by him.'- ' , ■ "Tho roport. is very far from being as complete and careful nS were to be desired. Tho orders to Mr. C'ollili were _to enquire fully and with caro ihfco tho situation in Calcutta; as to tho justification for dispersing tho Bendon-squaro meeting, as to tho supervision over tho police, ami into any specific allegations regarding their Mr. Collin has not fulfilled satisfactorily the

wishes of tho Lieutenant-Governor. His enquiry has been hurried and consequently incomplete and perfunctory in .parts. Mr. Collin was proceeding on leave, and tho enquiry proved to bo a heavier piece of work than was anticipated. It would have been well had itfr. Collin postponed his leave for a weok, for ho might then have sifted and tested tho statements in&do to him. This

work will now havo to bo committed to another officer."

JAMAICA EARTHQUAKE.

The first test case in the claims arising from tho conflagration of January 14 last, on tho'day of tho' great earthquake, was decided 111 Miilidovillo, Jamaica, in favour of the plaintiffs in tho action of Pawsey v. the Scottish Union and National Insurance Company on a claim of £8000. Tho verdict of tho jury was unanimous. Tho plaintiffs vrero successful in proving a pre-earthquako lire, although ■ Mr. Dickens, counsel for defendants, characterised tho claim of a preearthquako fire lis an amazing coincidonco. Tho plaintiff's counsel, in reply, stated that tho fact that tho earthquake followed tho lire was an equally strange coinoidoilce. Tho opinion is being freely oxprcsscd that tho companies will now pay, as the firo has boon proved not to bo of earthquako origin. SOUTH AFRICA. Tho country voting in tho Orangia olectioiis is smallor than was expected, owing to tlic heavy rains. The Uiiie is obtaining extunsivo successes, and gaining lara> majorities. Messrs. Fischor and Do Wot and General Burger liavo all boon olectod. Tho present position of parties is:—Unic, 23; Independents, 4; and Constitutionalists, 4. Generals Piot do Wet and Vilonol, tho oxNntional Scout leaders, liavo boon dcfeato.l. Tho filial result of tho elections is :—Unio, 30; Independents, 4; and Constiutioiialiats, k

Tho Governor has nominated eleven members of tho Legislative Council, including Mr. Blignant. formerly Secretary of tho late Free State Government; Mr. Browne, lato Treasurer under Crbwii Colony Government; Colonel Byron, General Andnes Cronje, thb Rev. Dewdnoy Drew, editor of tho Bloemfontein V Friend" ; and Mr: Palmor, ex-mem-ber of tho Freo State Government.

The special cbmraissioher of- ," Sonth Africa," in a cablegram from Capetown, says:—

" I understand that tho successor to Sir Thomas Fuller as the Cape Agent-General in London will probably bo Sir Somerset French, tho Capo Postmaster-General. The question of tho appointment of an Agent-General for tho Orange Rivor Colony will bo left in abeyanco for tho prcsont, and tho Crown Agoiits will oontinno to act for tho Colony." Mr. Smuts, Colonial Sccreary, ,speaking_ at tho Johannesburg Parliamentary Debating Socioty's dinner, declared that Cecil Rhodes and Paul Kruger wore thb dominating personalities. in South African history; ', They

had laid tho spoor which would be followed for centuries. Ho spoke in glowing terms of heroic actions by English and Dutch in South Africa, which, ho,said,'were thofinest inheritance of tho country.. ■ Tho' peoplo were determined llot, to look -to t the ghost of racialism and sectionalism, biit would appeal to what fras best in each,other. When the question of tho reorganisation | of tho Volunteers was bbforo him, involving _ the elimination of'names glorious in tho history of the Transvaal, ho refused to allow the, disappearance of tho Imperial Light Horso "That name," ho continued, "has a right to survive_.in.tha, history of tho Transvaal." In conclusion, Mr. ; , Smuts said, that the. Boors and the British must unite Or exterminate ono another.- They would unite. . . Sir Percy Fitzpatrick made a speech, in wiiioh he said that tho spirit which: pervaded tho Transvaal Parliament during the. past session was ono of praiseworthy dignity and restraint. .Tho country members, he declared, Would havo been an ornament to any legislature in tho world. ' . Speaking subsequently at Pretoria Sir .Percy Fitzpatrick said that the Chinese were dead, but tho Government were still using them as a 'means of driving bargains and dividing their, oppononts. He accused the Government of being deliberately hostiio to

tho mines.' ; 1 1 ' Sir Picter Bam has now completed his tour of tho South African Colonies. 1 AH the Governments havo agreed to discuss tho contemplated establishment of a South African Agency in London at tho Customs Confcreiico lioxt March; Sir Pioter hold success-

ful meetings at Port Elizabeth, East Lon-' dori, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Capetown, Piotoria, Johannesburg, and Bloomfontein, whero branches of tho South African Organisation Union were established and committees', comprising prominent Dutch and British, members, formed. ' . • Sir Pieter Bam starts on the 23rd inst. for Rhodesia t-o organise further'branches of tho Union, and on his roturn a congress will bo hold at Capetown to elect an executivo.. Tho movement is- regarded as being a useful, non-political auxiliary in the advance towards federation. ,■. ■ . ! \' CANADA. , Tho. October Bank statement issued by the Government . shows 'a decrease of £2,000,000 in call loans on stock in Canada, and of £2,400,000 in call loans by Canadian banks in tlio United States, as compared with October, 1906. During tho year tho banks haro added £1,800,000 to' their reserve. Deposits'alid current business accounts have increased by £2,200,000, savings deposits .amount: to £83,357,527, an .increaso 1 of nearly £5/200,000 on tho year, although over £500,'000 was withdrawn during October, presumably for invest-mfeivt in stocliS at the prevalent low prices. ' •••- Tho -statement of tlio'trade of, Canada for' tlio Sovori months cndiiig October shows that tlio growth of tho aggregate trado of the Dominion is £5.600.000, as nomparfcd with thii'Samo period.last I 'year. ' This .increase' is contributed to .by nearly all of imports. Domestic exports show an increase -of only £250,000. Tho principal decrcaso is in animals and their-produce, and principal increase is in agriculture:'.-- ■. _ . , Crop.returns from Nova.-Scotia sliotf'tlisit of all tho provinces it lias been'most fortunate, both aS regards price aiid yield. The Nova Scotia Government havo issued a statement -shoving that tlio crops have been slathered,in good condition and that the yield is about' tho 'average'; At tho samo .timo tho province is.notified that its exhibit of gold, iron, anil coal had bfron awarded a (•old medal at the Jnlnestown' Exhibition. With tho "All lied" route established, and tlio advantages of preference confined to iidods. arriving in Canadian ports, a great futurfeis iii store for this maritime province. Tho Canadian banks are able to liandlo till tlio western grain offered without any assistance from the Government. Mr. Fielding notified tho banks dealing in grain -that-the Government would assist them if required, hut till) Minister of Finance says that, this offer is not bcinf? taken'advantage.of. The farmers aro keeping back their grain fm better prices,. and tlio banks ,scem able to deal with all tho grain offered. Tho prompt action of tho' Government; appears to have had tho desired effect without tho banks being under tho necessity of accepting cash. Representatives of eharitablo organisations of Troonto met and protested against the importation into Canada of. undesirable immigrants. They passed resolutions asking the Dominion Government to take stujis to prevent the influx of mentally and physically 'diseased and othenviso' undesirable immigrants, and to 'adopt, some more expeditious method of deporting _ thorn, and asking the Dominion and Ontario Governments to -ascertain tlio clrissea most suitable to tho needs, of tho country, aiid to adopt regulations to ensuro such ' classes /being forwarded to Canada. '

Seven persons wero killed'and eight others injured in a collision which took place recently, on tho Canadian Pacific Railway near Pombroko (Ontario), between an castbound express and a light engine travet ling in tho opposite direction. Tho accident is stated to have been duo to tho driver of the light engine disoboyiiig orders. The bodies of the dead wero burned to. a cinder, tho mail and baggage cars and ono colonist coach being destroyed by fire. Tho nine passengers in tho colonist ear escaped with a shaking, nono boing seriously injured.

INDIA. A serious raid was niado by a band of 50 Afridis at Lachi, Kols.it, 0110 villager being killed and throo wounded.. Tlio Afridis cut tho telegraph and their ambushed a party of Border Mounted Police, killing two and wounding two, and esc/iping with four rifles and many rounds of ammunition. Tho reports of tho release oF Lajpat Rai and Ajit Sing'n aro officially corroborated. Tho prisoners aro in eourso of being released and sfent back to India by direct orders given by tho Viceory, who has taken this action, considering that there is no justification for keeping thorn any longer in custody. The. Prevention of Seditious Meetings Act is. not being applied to tlio Punjab, from which provinco tho two men in question woro deported. Tho question of a successor to Mohsin-ul-Mulk, lato lion, secretary to the trustees of tho Mahometan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarth, is now agitating tlio Mahometan community, and many meetings_ aro being held. Opinion thus far is unanimously in favour of tlio Nawab Yikar-ul-Mnlk, tlio present bead of tho All Indift Moslem League. Tho Amir of Afghanistan is now at Balk, and lias sent on to Kabul papers rwoived from tho Government of India relating to tlio rebent treaty with Russia. Sirdar Nasruilali Khan has'been instruoted by tlio Amir It hold n durba, and invito the opinion of tho leaders of tho various tribes on the settlement concluded between Great Britain aiul Russia concerning Afghanistan. When tho Amir, readies Kabul tlio matter will be placed boforo him for final decision.