The herald., 1897-10-31
AFRENCH NOTE
Aggravates the Situation
in Africa
THE BRITISH LION GR0WLS
BUT LIKELIHOOD OF BITING IS
SMALL
THE BRITISH LION GR0WLS
The French Chamber of Deputies
Adopts Drastic Labor Law.
Wolcott's Mission Ended
Associated Press Special Wire.

LONDON, Oct. 30.-(Copyright, 1871
The African situation has been aggra-
waited by the French semi official note,
made public on Tuesday last, and read
ing: "The news from West Africa fore
shadows great difficulties at Nikki and
in Borgu. The Niger company (British)
Is sending officers there to incite rebel
lion and distribute arms to the natives
In view of this situation French troops
have been dispatched to the district
from Senegal, as preventive measure.
Moreover, the British negotiators for
settlement of the Niger question have
been in Paris for over week, and every
thing points to Great Britain seeking to
let matters drag. Seemingly she does
not intend to discuss the question, but
means will undoubtedly be found to foil
these tactics
Then the situation was further aggra-
waited by the reply of the British colonial
office, issued the same day, declaring
that there did not seem to be any reason
able fear of complications at Nikki, cap
ital of the Borgu territory, provided the
ably
1t was added, however, at the colonial
office that Great Britain has taken the
determination more to effectively police
her territories, and if the French persist
in trespassing, complications will natu-
rally arise.
The appointment of Charles John
Darling, Q. c., Conservative member of
parliament for Deptford to the judicial
bench is severely criticized
LABOR QUESTIONS
The employers liability bill, which
was adopted on Thursday by the French
chamber of deputies, is of a drastic char
acter. 1t imposes upon the employer
the payment of an indemnity to work.
men who are accidentally disabled If
they are made idle for over four days. If
a workman is disabled for ten days the
employer must pay him a pension of
two-thirds of his wages lost, and in the
case of partial disablement the employ
er must also pay him two-thirds of the
wages thereby lost. In the case of tenn
porary diSabement the employer must
pay half the wages the workman thereby
lost, and in the case of death by accident,
the employer must pay pension to the
workman's widow amounting to twenty
per cent of the wages he earned, in ad-
dtion fifteen per cent for single child,
rising to forty per cent for four children,
until they reach the age of is. In the
case of orphans, the pension to be paid
by the employer is twenty per cent of the
wages formerly earned by the workman,
for each child up to total of sixty per
cent In the case of bachelors support
ing their parents, the indemnity goes to
the parents. In order to secure these
payments, even in the event of the en-
ployers insolvency. the bill compels en-
ployers to insure their wOrkmen against
accident.
The Pail Mall Gazette, this afternoon,
commenting upon the threatened strike
of the cotton operators throughout the
north of England, says that the lockout
will affect 100000 persons, and adds that
the strike will last for months, entailing
loss of G7O,00O,0O0 sterling, and mean
the ruin of the cotton industry.
Continuing, the Pail Mall Gazette re-
marks: 1.-THE worst of it is that Lam
cashire is cutting it's own throat and sup
plying textile machinery to it's rivals.
The cotton trade is already shut off in
the United States by prohibitive tariffs,
and Lancashire is supplying Canada
with machinery almost sufficient to sup
ply her own requirements, while India
and China are fast beating it out ON the
neutral markets.
WOLCOTTS MISSION
The chairman of the United States
monetary commission, Senator Edward
o. Wolcott, arrived in London from
Paris last evening on his way back to
the United States. The senator's visit
to the French capital is classed as being
mysterious, as he had written to the
United States ambassador to France,
General Horace Porter saying that he
would not return to Paris, but would pro-
ceed direct to America. The French
government, it is understood, is not in
clined to take any further steps in the
matter.
THE DUCHESS DEATH
LONDON, Oct. 30.-The weather here
and on the continent was almost as
mild as in summer. but London on
Thursday was visited by regular mid
winter fog lasting nearly twenty four
hours. Traffic was greatly delayed
thereby and there were numerous acci-
dents.
Owing to the death of the Duchess of
Teck, all the great social engagements
have been cancelled at court and gen.
eral mourning will be ordered. The
newspapers are making a great deal Of
fuss over the death of the Duchess, ap-
pearing with turned rules and print
ing pages of obituary matter. Her Royal
Highness was undoubtedly a good wo-
man, but certainly she was not the idol
of the people which the papers make her
out to be, and her great virtues were
not recognized until, by the marriage
Of her daughter to the Duke of York,
she became the mother-in-law of fu
ture Queen of England
Prior to that the Tecks had for years
been in great financial difficulties and
occupied an unenviable position among
royalties both here and on the conti-
nent.
MINOR MATTERS
The story Of the charge of the Gordon
Highlanders across the free zone at the
stormfng of Dargai ridge, which has
come In from India, reveals many in
stances of great personal heroisIn and
has produced an extraordinary wave of
patriotism throughout Great Britain
At the music halls and theaters every
thing which can be possibly construed
into an allusion to the bravery and