Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-27

Guild hall, London. Though the council
representing through it's delegates upwards
of a million members of labor organiza-
tons and distress committees for the un'
employed-met ostensibly for the purpose
of seeking a remedy for unemployment
the convention turned into a vote of
censure on John Burns. All sorts of things
were alleged against him, the most note
worthy being that he had failed to provide
work for the unemployed despite the fact
that he had already granted funds up to
IS, 1872 900 and loaned the enormous sum Of
$5O,O 900 at very low interest, for the ex'
press purpose of giving the unemployed
work on 400 separate Jobs.
1t is very doubtful If the nephew of Mr.
Burns would have gone on the streets in
this fashion had he not been assisted
by the labor party. who considered the OPP
portunity to attack their arch-enemy too
good to be lost. They provided him with
an outfit" consisting Of a barrel organ,
| donkey and the placard already men,
toned. The nephew himself did the rest -
| losing no time in seeking the suburb where
Mr.. Burns lives and playing before the
little workman's cottage which the cabinet
minister occupies. He also went to the
school attended by John Burns, jr., ana
play ed, only desisting when the students
threatened to tar and feather him If he
did not move on, for young Burns is inn
mensely popular among the boys.
RhapIOdizinE on the work.
At this point the assistance of the police
was brought in. There is a byelaw in
London that no street organ virtuoso is
allowed to bring his machine TO a stand
( still. He must rhapsodize ION the move"
And so Mr.. Burns nephew has been kept
pretty well on the march.
And now the newspapers have taken up
the question. and the cabinet minister has
come in for a great deal Of hard words,
especially from the labor section Of thu
press. On the other hand, he has his de-
tenders. Many antl-labor papers consider
this exposure of family affairs quite un-
fair. The partisans of Mr.. Burns praise
him highly for not putting one of his rela-
tives into a soft job; and point out that II
he had given his nephew a government
position he would nave been just as harshly
criticised by the labor members. And 50
the merry wal goes on, Mr.. Burns himself
standing aloof.
AS to the nephew Of Mr.. Burns, his ca
reer has been a varied one. Seen by the
writer, he made a statement of his griey-
ances;
Grievance Against Uncle.
MY name is Alexander Henry Elliott, ="
he said. and I consider that l have a
grievance against my uncle, John Burns,
because he promised ne a position under
the Board of Trade. which he has not full
filled. 1 can speak several languages
French, Italian, Turkish and modern
Greek. 1 was secretary to Sir stephen
Lakeman. X. c. b., in Turkey, and my
step-father was Major-General Shelton
Pssha, who held a post in the Turkish
government. My mother is Mrs. Burns
own sister.
Some years ago I returned to England,
but things did not go very well with me-
L lost a good deal over various business
ventures. and wanted Mr.. Burns to give
enough money-about SOTO buy a pony
in order to go into the vegetable trade.
But he refused.
II cannot see that there is anything else
for me to do but 10 go on the streets ana
become one OF the unemployed, In whom
my uncle takes so keen an interest"
Elliott has announced his intention OF
abandoning his ~Organ-the police tactics
OF hustling being perhaps too much for
him-and proposes going on the lecture
platform. he has already had several en-