New-York tribune., 1906-07-15
LABOR GROUP SHOWS ITS
POWER IN PARLIAMENT.
Especial BY French cable 10 The Tribune.l
yo,Dyright. 1906. BY The TTibuns Association.

--oup has secured a government amendment to
re Trades Disputes bin which viii exempt the
.r,ae unions from litigation under the At
,ornev Generals measure OF limited liability
Cor acts committed by a trade union commit
tee or its authorized agents. Keir Hardie
stood out for clear and explicit exemption Of
,be trade unions from actions for damages. and
unless the Lords intervene he viii have the law
as he wants it. The success OF the Labor group
,,ready makes it certain that the political opera
,ions OF the trade unions viii be greatly en-
larved at the next general election. The army
reforms also embody radical policy OF re-
trenchrnent Of military expenses, Mr. HaIdane.
accepting the blue sea- theory that the island
kingdom is fully protected by the navy holds
that masses Of regulars are not needed for the
defence Of ports and that both infantry and ar
.rlerv can be reduced He lays more stress on
efficiency than economy, and asserts that the
army viii be q better fighting machine when in
battalions and many batteries are dropped and
expenditures cut down Sl2.5OO00o- The military
exnerts are not convinced that Mr. Haldane's
evolutionary force. 10000 strong, will be avail
able for sudden emergency. and the proposal
far plaeng the volunteers under the direction
% the county associations is not a popular form
Of nnunicipalizatiOn.
GOOD ETANPLE TO THE WORLD.
Tne Radicals and Labor members welcome
the idea Of scaling down wastefuI armaments
and setting the world a good example. That is
grist for the Radical MILL and the amalgamation
Of the militia with the line and the close asso-
clatson Of volunteers with county authorities is
chah for the experts. Mr.. HaIdane is euogized
by The Radicals as the greatest War Minister
since CardweIl. and condemned with fine irony
By the Tories as the autocrat Of the War Office.
He mas invented a phrase that will not be for
gotten. namely. that everybody in the army
must be worth his'money. There could hardly
be more opportune time for military retrench-
ment The Kings influence in foreign affairs
has been useful additional fleet
army, and England is stronger abroad than
ever before The postponement of the visit Of
the feet TO Baltic ports is due TO Russian dis
orders and does not imply unfriendliness The
Kings meeting with the German Emperor has
not been definitely arranged, but is ardently de-
sired BY the Berlin Foreign Office. and will
probably be an incident Of his journey to
Marienbad in August With friendly relations
with every foreign power, and navy supremacy
unchalleuged. England is in a most favorable
position for leading the way toward the reduc-
tion Of ornaments and influencing Alright the
peace congress at The Hague.
WORK OF BUSINESS CONGRESS.
The congress Of the chambers of commerce
q the empire has been cautiously handled by
Iord Elgin. and questions raised by Mr..
Chamberlain have been kept in the background.
VI. Asquith has laid stress on local autonomy
ss the foundation OF imperial unity. and the
Postmaster General has described the imperial
penny postage as a colonial preference in the
best sense. Good feeling has been promoted by
this influential conference. but no business Of
real Importance has been done. Sydney Bux-
tons prediction that penny postage with the
United States viii come before long IS the
most significant utterance for Americans There
can be 10 surer method for keeping England
and America in sympathetic touch.
The throng Of Americans at the hotels has been
thinning cut during the week. Mr.. Bryan has
rnained an Interested spectator Of Parliament and
Is sconvinced that the debaters are as fluent there
Is AZ Washington. Mr.. Haldanes speech on
war reform was an achievement OF lucid expo
sition that amazed him He has met many
Labor members. and found John Burns COM
panionable Henry White is occupying house
n Whitehall Gardens for fortnight and seeing
his London friends. Mr.. Gummere, his col
league a. the Morocco conference, is also here.
but this IS apparently a coincidence Of vacations.
Nr- White says that he has no diplomatic
er-and and is here for private business and
pleasure, oscar Straus. Judge English and
General Ward are among the American visitors
The municipal experts Of the National Civic
Association are closing their work and reserv-
ing opinions until their return TO America,
when the results Of their inquiry into public
and private ownership viii be tabulated by ac-
countsnrs
GATETY n LONDON.
While the chief social functions at great
houses have passed. London has remained a
gay and brilliant capital A concert at Bridge
water House. Lady Evelyn Guinness's ball, Mrs
Nackays party and Dowager Lady Bute's dance
and garden party at Marlborough House for the
League Of Mercy, have been among the features
Il a week cramned with dinners and dances
The last court Of the season. while not 50
crowded as previous functions. the most
brilliant Of the series. owing TO the beauty Of
the gowns and the splendor Of the jewels. The
King By deferring court 70 an unusually late
date has prolonged the season and helped to
keep smart people in London, but the end is
coming speedily. Unless the increasing num-
Der OF runaway motor ornnibUses be included
as sign Of reckless times. the most noticeable
symptom Of midsummer madness is the raid
ing Of public property by unemployed squatters.
The movement. started in Manchester, has been
Continued in West Ham. where band Of tramps,
under Socialist direction, have seized dis
used gravel pit Of about three acres. encamped
IL small force. appointed q minister OF agri-
culture and dug up the ground with pick and
spade The Socialist fanatics threaten 10 seize
waste land in al the country without refer
ence 70 the AIOtments Law. but this Is clearly
Ea--a weather vaDoring.
. THE ENGLISH WORKI3GHEA SLOW
The Daily afau' draws the timely moral that
English v-orf1inernen are not so active minded.
enteIpr.sing and elastic in abilities as American
Worv Inn y-h