THE OUTSIDE WORLD

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8343, 1 February 1913, Page 9

THE OUTSIDE WORLD

"I’U put a girdle round about tbe earth In forty minutes.”

Tho official returns for the year 1911 under tho British Workman’s Compensation Act, 1906, indicate the far-reach-ing effects of that measure. The total amount of compensation paid in seven groups of cases during tho year was .£3,056,404, as compared with £2,700,325 in 1910. When to this sum is added the costs of management, commission, legal, medical, and other expenses tho total charge borne by the several industries probably amounts to morb than four million pounds. The payments comprise 4021 cases of death and 419,031 cases of disablement. The average payment in the case of death was £154, and in case of disablement £5 16s. The average annual charge for compensation was 8s sd_ per person employed. It was lowest in tho case of persons employed in factories, being only 4s 6d per head; in the case of railways it was 7s lid; it rose to 10s 9d in quarries, to 14s 3d in shipping, and to 13s 5d in constructional work; it was highest in docks (21s 9d) and in mines (23s 8d).

It is noteworthy that in the coalmining industry tho charge, arising under the Act works out af about l.ld only per ton of coal raised. Only a small proportion of claims under the Act became the subject of litigation. The total number of cases taken into Court in England and Wales was 8017, including applications in connection with allowances already granted, the total number of original claims finally settled within tho cognisance of the courts being 4487. In Scotland, the corresponding figures were 1823 and 663; in Ireland, 1233 and 717 respectively. Of tho 5767 cases settled judicially under tho Act in the 'United Kingdom tho decision was in favour of the applicant—that is, the workman - in 4504, or 78.1 per cent. In view of the widened scope of the amended Workmen’s Compensation Act of 1906 (one of the first measures passed by the Liberal Government), the tendency is for the older measure, the Employers’ Liability Act, 1880, to fall into disuse. The number of cases has fallen from 604 in 1907, to 223 in 1911.

While the great Powers are absorbedly watching the fighting on the Turkish frontiers, the Poles are waiting and watching and hoping for a possible conflict between Russia and Austria, which might offer an opportunity for the dismembered Polish nation to come to life once more. The London “Daily Mail ” reports that a nationalistic movement is spreading in Poland. Its aims is to unite all Poles and remove political differences between different Polish parties and between Poles and Eutbenians. To this end meetings are being held in Gmlicia, but the strength and extent of the movement is wholly problematical. There are estimated to be 25,000,000 Poles to-day, of whom nearly half are subjects of Russia, 6,000,000 are Austrian subjects living in Galicia, 4,000,000 are subject to Germany, and at least 2,000,000 are in America and elsewhere. Tho kingdom of Poland was partitioned among Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1795.

The Irrigation Department of Egypt, encouraged by Lord Cromer, gradually developed a programme which included. not only tho regnlation of the Nile by such works as the Delta Barrage, but, in addition, the storage of water in times of abundance for use later when required by the summer crops. The complete project worked out by the Brfitish officials has resulted in the construction, in addition to smaller regulators, syphons, and other valuable works, in regulating-weirs at Zifta. Assiout, and Esneh, and of the great dam now finished at Assouan, to which works must be added those entailed by the conversion from one system of irrigation to the other. All form part of one scheme. The Assouan Dam, though only just brought to its final state, was the first to be commenced. The Assiout Barrage was simultaneously taken in hand and completed in 1902, in the same year as tho first opening of tho Assouan Dam. The Zifta Barrage was commenced in 1901 and completed in 1903; while the Esneh Barrage, begun in 1906, was finished in 1909.

Since the negroes of the _ United States were freed they have increased from 4,000,000 to 10,000,000 in population. They own to-day. notwithstanding they were freed without any property, more, than 600,000,000 dollars. They have 135 private high schools; they have 30,000 teachers, 82 banks, 500 newspapers and periodicals. They have decreased in illiteracy 47 per cent. They have 1500 lawyers, 2500 physicians, several thousand ministers, some of whom are among the ablest in tho United States. They have 149 wholesale houses, 9098 retail merchants, and 1186 manufactories. Among them are scientists, poets, authors, musicians, artists, and inventors, and they have 2,000,000 children in the schools.

Tho Condominium Court, which is now sitting in the New Hebrides gorujp, had introduced a new Customs tariff which carao into force on Jims Ist. A new duty of 5 per cent, ad valorem had been imposed, except on a few items such as spirits, on which 9s per gallon duty had been placed, and 100 per cent, on arms and ammunition, which practically made their iml>ortation prohibitive.

'The following letter addressed by Mrs Asquith, wifo of the British Prime Minister, to tho editor of the Dally Mail,” tolls its own story: “Sir,—Would you permit mo a brief space to commend the claims of the London School Children’s Boot Fund, of which* Lady St. Holier and Sir John Kirk arc joint secretaries? We arc all glad to know that the medical reports from the schools show an improvement in tho children’s health, and in some measure ibis fund must have aided by supplying yearly about 12,000 pairs of boots, nthor free or at half the not cost. 1 believe that safeguards are provided their being wrongly disposed if. Tho booming trade of our great national industries docs little to alleviate tho miseries of the slums. Now that the winter is upon ns and may he severe, wo cannot but think compassionately of the poorest children, in our great city. Cheques may be forwarded to Sir John Kirk at the Ragged School Union Office, 32, John street, London, W.C.”