The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-25
NO RAY OF CONFIDENCE
Emperor's Anti-Strike Bill Found
Few Friends.
WAS SHARPLY TAT Tackled
Courts Denounced for Monstrous De-
cisions Against Laborers Little
Enthusiasm Over the Pur-
chase of the Carolines.

Copyrighted, 1899 by the Associated Press
| Berlin, June 24.--The attention of the
| reichstag this week was chiefly devoted
to the anti-strike bill and the public
| showed more interest in this than any
| other measure of the session. The press
| devoted vast amount of space to the
matter and the agitation became more
| active during the few days preceding
| the debate. This was not confined to
| the socialists, as the evangelicals, Cath
| olics and labor unions and the central
committee of Christian miners pro-
nounced against the bill
| 1t was clear from the beginning of the
| debate that the governments case was
lost The ministers and conservatives
never showed a sign of confidence
Their whole attitude was apologetical
| On the other hand, the attacks, which
were uncommonly sharp, came from all
| parts except the conservatives. The
vigor of the attack of the centrists and
| national liberals was scarcely inferior
| to that of the socialists. The centrist
| leader, Herr Lieber, was called to order
for a sharp arraignment of the courts,
| for recent ''monstrous decisions
ward employers.
The liberal leader, Herr Bassermann,
complained that the measure pleased
nobody but the social democrats, CIV
ing them excellent material for agita-
ton. Herr Bebel, the socialist leader,
spoke for two hours, attacking the bill
| with great sarcasm and vigor.
The points made by the more mod
crate opponents Of the measure were
| that 1t is unnecessary legislation and
| that the present laws are adequate and
| reach all cases of strikers maltreating
others. They demanded, instead of
| the harsh punishment provided by the
bill, full freedom for labor unions to
form coalitions with each other. 1t is
understood the centrists will seek to
| pass a law in the autumn abolishing
the prohibition against labor organiza-
tions confedera ting. I-rince Hohenlohe,
the imperial chancellor, promised this
| years ago, and If the government re-
fuses to carry out the promise, the CEN
trists themselves will present the bill.
If the government yields it will aid the
passage of a law protecting working
| men who are willing to work.
| The refusal of the reichstag on
Thursday, by an immense vote, to re-
fer the bill to a committee is equiva-
lent to the death of the measure in the
present form.
Caroline, Ladrone and Pelew islands
was passed by large majority, but
with little enthusiasm, although the
centrists voted for the purchase. Their
leaders spoke slightingly of the acqui-
sition and the public shows little en-
thusiasm on the subject.
The Kladder Adatsch has published
a striking cartoon belittling the pur-
chase. In the foreground are the head,
feet and tail Of a horse, whose body
had been devoured by a rotund tiger
crouching on the island of Guam. in
the background, wearing an Uncle
Sans hat while the German eagle
place to alight.
Before the canal commission Herr
Thielen, the Prussian minister of pub
lie works, in behalf of the ministry
and with the expressed approval of
the emperor, said if the bill passed. the
government would undertake to inn
prove the water way in upper Slesia
} to Berlin, so as to make it navigabie
for 45O-ton boats and equalze the
railway rates of SilesIa with those of
Westphalia and give Westphalia a
concession to build a canal. The Lippa
government declines to embody these
compensations in the bill
Z The present prospects of the bill are
clouded. AS soon as it was seen that
the ministry was able to make com.
pensation, the agrarians adopted a pol
icy of smothering the measure under q
multitude of claims estimated already
at half a billion marks. Count yor
Kanitz and other agrarians demanded
In Dehalf of East and West Prussia
an Improvement of Vistula and a sys
r tenn of canals leading out of the river
The Brandenhurg members demand i'm
, provement in the Oder and Wartha
costing 100,000,000, marks and Saxon5
H9n0Vpr I.;Jl y
benefited immensely by the canal, tn,
extremists demand a pledge that tn,
freight tolls on the canal will not b,
. lower than on the railways
q In a canal committee, Herr Barth
g Fressinge leader, moved concession
= which the government regarded as in
. admissible, and his motion was reject
, ed. This foreshadoWs the committed
rejection of the bill. If it is not pass
ed by the house over the committee
adverse report, the landtag will be dis
solved. 1t is rumored that the premie
8 has a royal decree to that effect read,
{ since the 18th. The Hamburg Core
r spondent, often used by the govern
r ment to express Its views, says dis
% solution will result in a majority 70
e the canal at the expense of the con
servativcs.
+ The Cologne Gazette is most dissatis
t fed with the Samoan commissions de
9 cls1on. 1t says the failure to remoy
/, Chief Justice Chambers is in a hig1
+ degree unfriendly upon the part O
q Great Britain and the United State
/, toward Germany.
4 The trade relations between tn
= United States and Germany continu
Il to attract considerable attention. TIL
}, chief agrarian organ, the Deutsch
- Tages Zeitung, leaves no doubt tina
. Count Won Kanitz' motion for a mod
fcation OF the tariff of 1879, as cable
to the associated press June IS. wa
aimed at the United States and wa
intended to counterfeit the differentis
n treatment of German sugar and reel
/ procity concessions to France.
o The report of the Society of Berli
IS Merchants and Manufacturers claim
r. the United States custom officials arb
X trarily raise invoices without regar
e to the prices paid in the country {
= origin, and it is claimed the Unite
d States custom methods operate espe
is cially to the disadvantage of Germa