June 6, 1908.]
be unlocked for the admission of other than Russian trade?
The truth of the matter seems to be that the Russian Foreign Office is singularly ill- informed by its representatives at Peking of what negotiationsare proceeding there. Lord CRANBOENE in the House of Commons on April 80th stated that His Majsty's Government had received from trustworthy sources confirmation of the statement that the Russian Government had announced that they had no knowledge of the reported Convention. Yet Russia was able to say that the alleged demands were "simply invented." To the United States Ambassador they were described as being absolutely incorrect," which would seem to point to the conclusion that the Russian Government was not altogether so innocent as the British Govern- ment had been led to believe. Diplomatic secrets, so far as the Chinese Government is concerned, are not well kept in Peking, and consequently, the demands made by the Russian Minister became public property before apparently even the Foreign Office at St. Petersburg had been made fully aware of the precise terms and thus the Russian Government has been obliged to renew its pledges not to seek exclusive privileges in Manchuria; and the British Government has been assured that Russia has no intention of departing from the assurances [reviously gvin in regard to that province. Nous
verrons.
INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS IN ENGLAND AND AMERICA.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE RÉPORT:
the States which come into immediate com petition with those of the old country, the increase has neither been so marked nor so great as many of our pessimists have lately been asserting. It is a fact, and this is not denied by the majority of the reports, that American industries have lately been pro- gressing at a far greater speed in the States than in England, though the question is still an open one as to whether the cause is to be sought in some more favourable condition existing in the States, or whether it is not the effect of a general equalisation of cundi- tions, which will in time adjust themselves, when the two nations have come more nearly to a general equality of condition. Up to this, taking population and oppor- tunities into consid ration, the British work- meu may have perhaps had the better of the situation; and it may be that when both are placed on an equality the rate of progress of each may approach nearer to the mean. There is, of course, a good deal that may be attributed to vis inertia. The British work- man has at his back the steady, if slow, growth of years; the American to get started at all has had to apply an enormous initial force, the bulk of which is as yet undissipated, but which in proportion to the work actually being done is being drawn ou daily, and bids fair to be exhausted by the time affairs come to balance. There is, of course, a certain amount of reason in this contention; and this would naturally be the view which would most readily lend itself to the judgment of the trades unious. It is, however, one the loss the feet, and a fact that tends in favour of the honesty of the (Daily Press, 3rd June.)
delegates, that the majority of the reports Last year Mr. A. MOSELY did one of those do seem to indicate a better state of feeling quiet, unobtrusive nets which often in their towards one another as existing in the results serve to make or mar a country. States between employer and employed. In He offered to pay the travelling expenses certain respects the employers, and in of a number of delegates from the Trade others the employees may take to themselves Unious of England who were to go over to credit for the fact. The English working the United States, and examine for them. selves the conditions and mutual relation- | show of reason, that the masters are ever man complains, and apparently with some ships of employer and, employed, and find ready to seize the entire advantage of any out whether there was any truth in the improveineut in the method of working; statements that have recently been made that if, eg, when doing piecework an em that many of the industrial arts were pass-ployes by superior diligence succeeds in ing from Great Britain and making a home earning a higher wage than his neighbours, for themselves in the States; in case this the employer, instead of leaving the benefit should be the fact then to examine from to him, invariably takes the first opportu- their own point of view the causes that were uity of cutting down rates so that his at work in inducing this transfer from one
average earnings in the end come side of the Atlantic to another of industries
more than the ordinary day-worker's. The in which the Bitish workman up till consequence is not only to create a steady recently found himself unchallenged. No opposition to piecework in the mind of the pressure was put on the delegates to
worker, but to encourage the habit, already bias their opinions oue way or the
too strong, of the workman persistently other, so that the series of reports which doing less work than his best. The Ameri- have recently been published may be looked can master, on the contrary, according to upon as a fair expression of the views of the delegates, finds it to his advantage to the working classes on the topics proposed. stick to his agreement, with the result king Many people have expressed themselves the working man has no interest in worthat disappointed by the results, mainly on under his capacity, and does in fact babit account of the wint of unity amongst the ually turn out a larger quantity of finished members; a further consideration of the work than his English fellow. Another onditions proposed will, however, go far to
reuson for this has probably been exag- disabuse the mind of the impartial reader gerated in all the reports, and proceeds more of any such opinion, and will go far to
from the circumstances of the case than prove the bona fides of the whole. It from any settled design, and that is the would, in fact, be it very suspicious circum-grater rapidity of advancement in America stance, and imply some foregone conclusion, than England. The American is pictured did the various members of the delegat.on as always going about his shop "prospect- produce reports that could in any way being for talent amongst the workmen. made to bear the semblance of having beru made to order, and so as to give utterance to the views of one or other party amongst the working classes. Even on the general question of the momentary superiority or The reverse of American over British ways there is. room for great divergence of opinion; and the act of these divergencies goes far to prove it while there has been a great and steady rise in the industries of
to no
This is probably the case more than in England, but ou the other hand the demand for labour on the w stern continent is, and has been for some time, rather brisker than in England, and promotion in the natural course of events is quicker where the demand is in excess of the supply; so that this may probably be discounted as but a temporary condition brought about by exceptional circumstances. We have not
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space to go into the other topics raised, of superior education, longer hours of work, less time devoted to sports, less gambling and drunkenness, &c., but the body of the reports gives the impression that on the whole the working conditions are a shade better in the States than in England, but only a shade, and that
the main reasons for the recent growth is to be sought in the artificial stimulus given to loca! manufactures by the fiscal laws of the States. How long this stimulus will have a beneficial effect on mauufactures is the main point at issue. All schools of political economists agree that under certain cou- ditions protection may be useful in building up industries; but the majority of English ecmomists hold that the stimulus is not permanent, and is bound. sooner or later to be followed by a proportionate period of undue depression. This is, in fact, the stage on which the old cc troversy has entered; and the stage is sufficiently wide to afford ample rom for the combat ints of both parties to exercise their amplest skill.
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THE NAVY LEAGUE MEETING.
(Daily Press, 4th June.)
His
The meeting of the Navy League at the City Hall, on Tuesday, was enthusiastic and appreciative, and the attendance, for Hong- kong on a hot day, when the attractions of a cool swim were so obvious, was fairly good. Mr. WYATT's remarks were listened to with the greatest interest, as be traced the rise of Britain as a sea power and point d out, in simple but forcible terms, the necessity, after winning the mastery of the sea, for preserving the same by the maintenance of an adequate Navy. Excellency the GOVERNOR also made a great point when he drew attention to the fact that the efforts of the Navy League were really directed to maintain the priceless blessings of peace. The Navy League was, he considered, the greatest Peace Society in the world. This was most entirely the right note to take. Whatever misgivings we may have for the future, born of the ceaseless strivings of the nations and, more particularly, the restless aggression of Russia, all members of the Navy League must ever cortinue to cherish the hope that the evil day when a great-and we fear it would be a titanic-struggle is provoked, may be indefinitely postponed by a judicious state of preparedness on the part of Great Britain that will daunt attack. The truest way to ensure the continuance of peace is to be prepared for war. It is the policy of the Navy League to unceasingly press home this truth upon the British Government, tə urge without cessation or pause that the first line of defence be maintained suffi- cient and efficient, and that in department shall the Admiralty ever be caught napping. We cannot afford to allow this great and costly insurance of our com. merce afloat to become in any particular invalid or ineffective. Our arms must be bright, our plans up to date, our ships of the first and best description, and it must be an article of faith that no invention afloat or ashore be allowed to go past us, no matter how heavy the cost or how difficult the acquisition of it may be. These are the aims and aspirations of the Navy League, and they are inspired solely by the fervent desire to animate the Gov- ernment with that unresting care for the great bulwark of our power that will enable us to hold what our forefathers have be- queathed and to secure which such heroic deeds have been performed.
no.
We think that perhaps a little omission was inade at the meeting, due probably to
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