The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-15
OUR LONDON CABLE tETTER,
SECRETARY CHAMBERLAIN's PET
SCHEME WILL NOT GO
THROUGH.
DIRECT REPRESENTATION IS WANTED
Ornamental Titles VIII Not Satisfy
the COlOnies-Scarcity of Births
In France LIS n Serious Ques-
tIOn-Engineers' Strike.

London. July 10.-The Australian pre-
miers are gradually letting the cat out
OF the bag in regard to the conference they
have had with the secretary of the colo
MES, Mr.. Chamberlain, proving the abso-
lutte failure of Mr. Chamberlains pet
project for colonial representation mt
Westminster. One who was present at
these conferences said to a representative
of the Associated Press:
when Joe embarked on this scheme
as the one great step towards imperial
ieueration. ne was not aware, probably,
tnat English sentiment is by no means
ready for such drastic change as to per-
INIT coonials to sit in parliament. Joe
thought some sort of colonial council
win hlgh-sounding name, and occa-
sional distribution of stars and orders
would satisfy the colOnials and prevent
any tendency to cut loose from the mother
country, which was the only reason why
thls scheme was attempted at all. Eng
land is satisfied with her relations with
the, colonies. but she is not satisfied that
such relations can stand the strain when
the colonies become of age and rise in
tnelr strength Laurier put our views
straight to Chamberlain when he said in
the conference:
Canada is satisfied now with her re-
lntlons with the mother land but we are
rapidly approaching the parting of the
ways. When Canada has 100000 of
people she will have attained her strength.
and until she has direct voice in the
power governing her she must seriously
consider whether or not she would be bet
ter off as an independent nation
This is the same thought and conclu-
sion reached by Australia. To put us in
the house, of lords is a simple negative
and to put us in the house of commons is
impossible in the present temper of the
English people To be shut up in room
as an ornamental lot of councillors to
whom nobody listens is what we won't
have ut any price. You may have no
ticed that Mr.. Chamberlain's scheme was
Just touched on in his speech on Thursday
last Mt the banquet at the Hotel Cecil in
responding to the toast of The British
Empire when he referred TO the desire
TO witness the federation of the British
empire and the immediate reply of Laurier
that the colonials should either draw more
closely together in the empire or should
separate, adding that when Canada has
her Strengthening nothing else will satisfy
her but imperial representation.
'One thing, | am sorry to say, also de-
veloped out Of the conference, and that
is Australian federation seems as far off
as ever. Every Australian premier thinks
only of himself and every other colony
hut his is good for nothing in his opinion.
Every imperial question he answers by
asking hmself Wei, if that comes off,
what will become of me and us?"
Another curious remedy for the paucty
of births in France is suggested by Sen
atOrs Liable and Berthelot, who have in
troduced bill providing that all married
conscrpts will only have to serve a year
in the ranks. The promoters of the meas
ure express the opinion that the reason
the men do not marry is because military
service comes just at the time when
but they hope by the offer of deducting
two years from their military service to
entice large numbers into matrimony. In
order to obviate the probability of
scheming conscripts marrying in order to
escape being drafted into the army and
then divorcing their wives at the end of
a years service, the bill provides that con-
scripts 40 acting will have to return to
the army and complete their three years
service.
The dispute in the engineering trades
seems likely to rank among the greater
labor wars. 1t is n deliberate trial of
strength between the associated employers
and their men. The trades unions are
leagued to secure an eight-hour day of
work at the present nine-hour wages, and
unless there is some interpostion n hun
dred thousand engineers will be idle with
in week. The trades unions are pre-
pared to spend f350,000 Of their reserve
fund in support of their claim.
1t is said that one Of the chief features
of Mgr Sambucetti's special report to the
pope on the growth of Catholicism in Eng
land is the astonishing conclusion that the
decrease of Methodism is largely due to
the transference Of membership in that
body to membership in the church Of
Rome.
At the recent Catholic congress at Han
ley, Cardinal Vaughn said that the efforts
of the Catholics in the future would he
mainly directed towards proselyting the
non-conformists
A new drama by Comeyn Carr and Had
don Chambers has been accepted by the
Messrs. Catti for production early in
August. The title has not been definitely
agreed on. but the battle of Waterloo is
intimately connected with the plot and
one of the scenes will represent the cele