Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-24
LONDON'S WATER WORKS Likely to Cause Row in Parlia-
 ment.
NEW MONETARY CONFERENCE
Wanted by Some of the English Statesmen, Who Favor
 Freer Silver Coinage.

has been privately approached by several liberals of bimetallic tendencies in regard to the calling of new monetary confer ence and has inimated that his opinion is unchanged in the matter. He Is con- vinced that another ference would be as futile as the last one was and is not dis posed to countenance any such ac.io n
 Despite this Encouragement, however, the parliamentary committee or the bimetallic league held a meeting yesterday and de- cided to issue a strong whip, embracing members of every section, inviting their presence in the house on the occasion of the introduction of MT. Evarts' motion next Tuesday.
 The motion, of which notics was given on Wednesday, has--been modified In the meantime, and now runs as follows: Resolved, That the house regards with increasing apprehension the growing di- vergence between the values of gold and silver and heartily conccrs In the recent expression of the opinion of the governments of France and Germany in re- gard to the serious evils arising therefrom. The house therefore urges the government to CO operate with the powers in the call ing of an international conference.
 If MT. Balfour has sufficiently recovered 10 enable him to resume his seat In the house he will support the motion. The bi- melallists do not hops to be able 10 shake the resolution of the government, but they rather aim at making the debate and the division thereon election factors 1n the league's propaganda, to which the sum of G50, ,000 has already been subscribed. The result has been the wholesale ad-
 hesion 10 bimetallism of number of populous cenlers which have hitherto either opposed the system or remained neutral. Bimetallism Is not subject upon which the sluggish minds of the British populace can be induced to understand that their interests are affected, but busl. ness men everywhere are more moved in
 the matter than they have been at any period and are reported to be joining the ranks of the bimetallists in great numbers. The cabinet is solidly monometallic, but may agree to an international con- ference. England will seud delegates to Berlin. In the meantime there Is growing conviction in the minds of the ministers that Germany won't suggest conference.
 The latest developments of the progressist attacks on London monopolies and city boodleism have shown plainer than ever that the conservatives are the defenders of vested interests, however obnoxious they may be to the people. Yesterday the county council applied to parliament for and ob-
 tained, through the liberal vote, power to acquire the property of certain water com panies which are supplying part of the metropolis with water. The distinctive feature of the bills was that they gave the council the right to. acquire first and to subsequently, submit to parties should disagree thereon. The con- servatives roundly denounced this proposal as part of system of spolfation because the companies were not allowed to refuse to sell unless upon their own terms an old plant, whose stock is held at an enor- mously inflated value. The difficulty of the house will give London water supply administered only blythe council at mod crate rates.
 The remodeling of the water system will be an immense operation and will cost many millions of pounds. The scheme of completing the unlfcation of London by the absorption of the city has greatly frightened the corporations called live companies.
 The progressists in the county council l are about to petition the government to give immediate effect to this reform. The | debate in the school board last Thursday elicited wholesale denunciation of
 as ry tSa fS%p'pss paslo "e'A of funds
 Which ought to be devoted to education. | This discussion partially disclosed how the
 money was spent. Out of great income
 of 2S00, GOO yearly, the bulk is expended in
 volving the payment of enormous salaries
 to useless officials, and upwards of e100, 1000
 year is spent in eating and
 drinking. The conservatives on
 the board defended the system as time- honored, and protested against
 any change. It is known that the boards | of the various city companies are aw4re of | their coming doom, and are secretly dis | posing of their properties wherever 1t Is
 possible, with view of eluding the trans- l fer thereof to the county council. It will
 be very hard task to trace the poodle
 when 1t has been distributed.
 The house of commons committee in
 charge of matters affecting the unemployed l was addressed today by Commonor Kier
 the prevailing distress. He wants parlia-
 ment to grant immediately the sum of | G100, ,0Q0 for the purpose of forming relief works. When this sum is placed he wants
 similar sums voted and other works pro-
 vided until everybody is supplied with em- l plyoment. MT. Hardis's proposals faith-
 fully reflect the demand of the socialists.
 The committee. however, did not seem to
 appreciate the suggestion of the creation of
 @ universal state workshop.
 The board of trade learned that the sur | viving officers of the Elbe cannot be ex- l amined except by German court of ip- | quiry. The German authorities promise tQ
 supply the board of trade with an of1cial
 copy of evidence, but the ultimate result oi
 the British inquiry in view of the absence
 ot the ships officers is likely to De very un.
 mon Messrs. Hoffmann and Vsfera from
 the United States to give evidence here.
 The latest communications between the
 foreign officers and Japan is in regard to
 the peace negotiations reported to have led
 to distinct declaration op the part of the l Japanese that she Is not desirous of any
 interference by European powers.
 WHAT BECAME OF THE vhssELs | ko6