Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-01
Other Lands than Ours.

London has problems in connection
with the unemployed in its east emu.
the gravity of which exceed any OF
those with which organized charity III
this country has to grapple. In thIs
an interesting experiment
has been successfully carried through In
the administration of mansion
house fund" in avoiding the evils usu-
ally attending the giving of relief IN
time of industrial and commercial de-
preston. In consequence of excep-
tional distress in the winter OF l9O3-4
relief works were organized, but III Ut
der to reach the deserving class OF the
new method was aoopl-
ed. An offer was made Of continuous
work at reclamation of waste lana, etc.,
in colonies outside the city. TO male
heads Of families with settled homes IN
London. The men were boarded ana
lodged at the colonies, but recelNeu
nothing to spend. the relief money go
ing to the families at home, being pro-
pOrtioned to the number OF cnlldreh.
AS far as possible preference was CIV
en- to those who could bring employers
and the record of the relief
colonies showed that the men VINO De-
lcnged to this class possessed lar
greater powers of perseverance IMAM
the lower grade of casual laporers.
AS whole the scheme was round 10
eliminate the oilers and habltual de-
pendents; it produced marked inn
provement in the physique of the men
who worked, and insured continuity
and thorOughness of relief. Plans are
already under way to utilize the princi-
pie i'm other districts than the metro
pOlitan.
Thirty years ago the flag of the Fiji
islands was hauled down and the Union
Jack went up in it's place. Since then
the islands have gone on under British
control, trying one Industrial expert
ment and another with varying sue
cess, their fortunes dependent on the
of prices in the great mar
kets of the world. Cotton ceased to
pay it's way long ago; then coffee. tea
and cinchOna were tried; finally sugar
came in with improved machinery and,
with the Australian and New Zealand
markets at hand, did pretty well. The
industry was so securely rooted that it
was able to sustain a gradual drop of
rs per cent. in prices and sugar is still
the chief production of the islands
The natives quit cannibalism long ago,
and the best of them have put on tail
coats and tall hats and embraced re-
ligion. There are about thirty of them
to one outsider. and the outsiders own
only about one-tenth of the land con-
tanned in the group, though they pos
sess the chief influence and authority.
In general the desire of the European
element there is to have full indepen-
Gence and 10 remain no longer in colo
NAL leading strings. but the time is not
yet ripe for so radical a change.
1t is becoming more and more diff
cult to sift the true from the false in
the immense mass Of fact, rumOr and
pure fiction that is distributed all over
Europe by various Geographic and lit
erary agencies from the far east. One
of the most definite and detailed of re-
cent stories was that which told of the
terrible revelations contained in the
letters of the late General Count KEEL
Ter to his widow. 1t was said that per-
sons high in authority were using every
influence to stop the publication Of
ly criticised his associates, and roundly
denounced the incapacity and diShon-
{ Sty which par alyZed the Russian cam
;:aign. Now Countess Keller publishes
card, in which she declares that there
has never been any question of pub
fishing the letters and that the printed
summaries of their contents are gross
distortions, exaggerations, or inven-
tons. She intlmates that the cores
pOndants who have referred to the let
tiers have not seen them, but have SIM
ply repeated gossip. 1t is noteworthy,
however, that she does not deny the
existence of the letters, or the allega-
ton that they contain matter which
would be most unpleasant reading for
persons in authority. Doubtless they
will come to light sooner or later.
Count Keller could scarcely have had
anything much worse to tell than has
been told already.
The traditional notions Of Spanish
dignity were rudely upset the other day
when the Cortes established record
for disorder worthy of the Austrian
Reichsrath. The situation was brought
about by a difference of opinion as to
whether an understanding arrived at
last summer, concerning the abandon
ment of prosecutions of Republican
deputies, did or did not cover acts done
before a specified date-the opposition.
of course. taking an affirmative view.
The occasion Of the disorder however,
was the refusal of the vice president to
allow certain members to proceed with
their speeches. combined with an in
sulting remark by ministerialist
speaker. Terrific uprOar followed.
The President broke three bells in the
vain attempt to call the house to order;
the chair was assailed with inkstands,
a crucifix was knocked down-One ac-
count states that it was deliberately
to pieces by a members stick.
and there was free fight, in which
ministers and ex-ministers took part.
The galleries were cleared with some
the diplOmatists' gall
lery, whose occupants tactfully with
drew when the proceedings became in-
the matter was settled
by apologies in private; but the sitting |
went on all the next and part OF the
day. Then there was an ad- |
Journnent and a compromise. 1t Is