The San Francisco call., 1897-02-07

gates TO the conference can be forecasted
from certain official statements heard here
1t will be summed by contending that The
measures to check the spread of the cpl
demic in India are as perfect as can DC
ana that the best protection against the
epidemic affecting Europe will be greater
attention 10 cleanliness at the ports ana
among the people of Europe. Put plainly,
the English delegates will say: our
quarantine proposals are useless Get
clean and the plague will not attack you.
The notoriously unsanitary state OF Ital-
ian towns, the dirty habits OF the people,
the filihiness OF the Russians, and the de-
fects of sanitation in Austria and Ger
many, and even French centers as COM
pared with the English, will give pcirt to
the English contention. Spasmodic sanl-'
tation efforts were mede at the time OF
the last cholera visitation in Germany.
Italy and other Continental countries, but
since then the international measures
have been generally ignored.
The council of the social-democratic
federation is arranging popular demon
stratIon over the Indian famine fund
scandals. There really seems 10 be con-
spiracy of silence on the part of the lead
ing London papers regarding the misap D.
preparation OF the vast sum of Ell, 600, 900,
raised by additional taxation i'll India, to
provide for the inevitable recurring fam
ines. circular issued by the socialist
council points out that this famine fund
was started on the hypothesis that every
ten years SIS, 600 600 would be required to
relieve a famine; that the popuiation of
India has increased in the last ten years
by 900; that the huge sum of
100000, 600 rupees is now paid annually TO
English officials, military and civilian;
that the appreciation of gold and the de-
probation of silver, with the stoppage of
the coming OF silver at the mints, have in
NvyNtw H.
and that English greed and mlsruIe is the
cause of the famine.
The Queen, through her private secre-
tary, Sir Alfred Bigge, has written to the
Mayor of Sheffield. announcing her inten-
tion of opening the Town Hall there IN
person in May next This fact should
disprove the wild rumors about the phys
cal and mental prostration of her Majesty.
John Burns, NJ. P, OF the trade union
! parliamentary committee. recently asked
the approval of that committee TO the ap-
| pointment OF a permanent trades union
| bureau. The purpose OF this new bureau
| is to interfere in the settlement of trades
disputes, strikes and lockouts, 10 secure
| from the various unions official help for
] strikers, to initiate and to watch labor
| legislative work in Parliament and to
! form tie executive for ali unions. The
| men posing this permanent executive,
| if 1t ever be constituted. will occupy a
| position OF exceptional power in politi, s.
| Mr.. Burns scheme is now being consid-
cred By the respective trades unions. He
! asserts that ajority of the unions will
approve it and that its adoption by the
coming trades congress Is sure. 1t may
| be said that he is over con tiden;, but if the
congress does eventually agree to the bu-
reau new and potent force will operate
in British politics and IN all questions af-
| fecting the relations OF capital and labor.
The Prince of Wales is buying large
tracts of land in the Dartmoor district,
| apparently to form an eXten nsive deer for
est and hunting region. To obtain the
necessary purchace money he has d s.
| posed of South African and other securi-
! ties. There are signs OF a marEed clearing g
up in e Princes financial affairs.
The sharp dose OF winter that came with
| the end of January has driven most of ths
prominent members of society to the
south of France, and they will not return
until after Lent. The season is to be very
grand. though the Queen will take little
personal part in it before the ceremony in
! June.
Great efforts are already being made to
! boom the Victoria era exhibition, to be
held in London this summer. Sir Stafford
! Northcote is chairman of the su commit
! tee for commercial and industrial exhib-
| its. He is turning 10 use in this direc-
/ ton his recent visit to Canada and the
! United States The performance will be
! enllvened by series of French plays by a
Pdr1sian com pany under NJ. Antoine, form
erly or the Theatre Libre.
Mr.. Gladstone has written letter to the
Greek Byron Society. advlsin a federal
union OF Macedonia, Bulgaria, Servia and
Greece as the best solStion OF the Eastern
question.
The National Liberal Club is hailing the
de;eat of the Conservative candidate in
the Welthamsiowe distric, of Essex in
the election he'd this week as heralding .
the return of the Liberal party to power
Though the successful candidate, Mr.
Woods, is not in the strictest sense of the
term Liberal. he having stood for the
seat as Radical and la Dor candidate. the
Liberals are claiming him as their own
and the National Liberal Club is arrang-
ing TO give banquet in honor of him.
According to The Saturday Review W.
J. Leyds, the Secretary of State OF the
South African Republic, is about TO re-
sign nis Office.
The Conservative press is unanimous In
its praise of the speech delivered in the
House OF Commons yesterday by Sir
Michael Hicks Beach, Chancellor OF the
Excheq who served notice on France
that Great Britain proposed to remain in
occupation of Egypt indefinitely, while
the Liberal iourna denounce the speech
as reckless and needless irritation of
France.