New-York tribune., 1894-01-07
IEY GALE TO THE rRiBUSR.J


IEY GALE rRBUSRJ
copw0a'i 1904; By The Tribune Assocfaron
London. Jan. 6.-The trenendous set OF poil.
tics toward labor Is again visi3. this week.
1t may equally well be called the subordination
OF political to social questions. Mr. Fowler's bill
FOR the reorganization Of local government
throughout England is distinct and avowed
effort 10 put power into the hands of the laborinR
classes not political only or mainly. but social,
economical, fiscal and much else The compul-
scry power Of taking land for allo;ments is an
eXampl" Of the sprit in which the rights OF prop
erty are dealt with It is not the spirit of con-
fscatiOn. for compensation must be paid at the
market price, but it is the new spirit of state
Socialism. not yet openly avowed as principle.
but acted on in details. Mr. Burnss claim for
further government supervision in trades dam
gerous TO life or health. and Mr. Asquth's prom
ise TO legslate next session. are claimed by the
Socialists another step in the same direction.
II is nothing Of the kind. II is simply extern
sion of the principle long since embodied in the
Factory acts. the Railway Servants act. and
others. Mr. AsQuith is pretty radical, but he is
not Mr.. John Burns, and Mr.. Burns Is not Mr..
Zen Tlllett.
But If Mr.. Asquith has not hauled down his
flag. Mr. Campbell Bannerman Minister of War.
has. He makes a clean surrender to Mr.. Burns
on one important point, having passed an Eight
Hours act all by himself. The twenty thousand
men employed in the ordnance factories at Wool
wich and elsewhere are henceforth to work but
forty eight hours a week. There is 10 be no
overtime. and no reduction Of pay. That is
tremendous Victory for the trade unions. who are
apparently to govern this country In the near
future individuals and combinations of employ.
ers have shown themselves strong enough to
stand up agains trade union tyranny. Not SO
The Government. The Government cannot get on
without votes. individuals can.
The War Department has hitherto insisted that
the exigencies of the public service might, and
often do. require longer regular hours and es-
pecially overtime. These eXigencies, II appears,
are never again to arise. The business Of
this country IS to be conducted peace basis.
Radical and Socialist journalists hail Mr.. Ban
ncrman's pledge the visible dawn Of new
Industrial millennium. Undoubtedly there Is .
good side to the eight hours agitation, and every
just and practicable relief to labor Is wel-
come but concessiors to organized intimidation,
whether social or political, are not welcome.
Socialism has made no such leap ahead that
abroad. and Anarchy rone at all French Anar-
chlsjs will long have cause to remember New
Years Day 1894 The Government OF France
on that day took q new departure. They recog-
niZcl the Anarchists as 2 public enemy, and cap
turel two thousand CT them at enc bow. VI.
Raynal the new Minister Of the Interior. has
made his marl and left 1t stamped deep on
the face Of Anarchy. His plan carefully laid
and punctualy executed. The Anarchists Of
course had warning from the recent measures Of
the Legislature for public safety that something
might be attempted. ard they set their holes and
caves in order 1t seems clear that great guam
titles Of Anarchist literature and other explos-
Ives have been destroyed or secreied, but the
Anarchists themselves remained
What makes NJ. Raynals action effective u
the completeness OF it; AMI that theatrical
quality which the French value so highly. French
is excited and pleased by the picture
OF two thousand scoundrels all in bed and asleep,
all walked at the same moment and all finding
themselves In custody of the police. and hauled
straightway to what the victims Of TIE law de-
light to call dungeons. There for the present
they seem likely to remain. French justice 10
not impatient Her methods of inquiry thor
ough. and thoroughness takes time: especially
when you have two thousand separate threads 10
weave into web OF crime.
The situation In Sicily Is far more serious than
in France. Every day brings t!dngs OF new dis
turbances. Attacks Of the peGsantry on munici-
palities occur In so many different parts OF the
sland that something very like a revolution has
seemed imminent. Sicily has never been law
Abiding island Brlgandage has hourshed by the