Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-18
FOREIGN NEWS

London, Aug. 1S.-The British Med
seriously debated the advisability of |
organizing as labor union.
Recently the official organ of the |
association was mulched for heavy |
libel damages for calling a practition-
er quack. Insomuch as, under a re-
cent decision of the British courts, |
the funds of labor union cannot be
touched for such damages, the doctors
felt that the reorganization of their
association into a labor union. would
not be without certain advantages.
The British Medical association in
its recent strike against the provisions
of the compulsory state insurance act
emulated the tactics OF labor union
lists, but in spite OF the reputed high
er mentality of its members, il suf-
fered defeat on account of lack of
solidarity, just as many of its hum
bier eXemplars have.
Following in the footsteps of the
doctors, the police are contemplating
the formation of labor union to be
called the Amalgamated Society of
! policemen. Letters appear every week
III the police organ, citing grievances
and suggesting the formation of a
union as the first step towards their
| correction. The chief demand is for
maximum police salary of ten dol
| lars a week, and one correspondent
! suggests that, as the police have 70
enforce fair play in the labor disputes
Of others, they should have little diff
ffculty in enforcing their own de-
mands. One writer limited that it
might go badly with the public if the
police struck for their rights. One of
| the chief worries of the police is due
to the suffragets whose activities
have added greatly to their overtime,
fer which they get no extra pay. Re-
Gently the force has been increased IN
orler to give longer vacations, but the
men feel that their lot is still cast in
hard places.
: James r. Bell, the original of Kip
ling's Bridge Builder" is dead at his
/, home here.
Mr.. Bell was a sad reminder of how
the cast iron rules of the Indian civil
service hamper the efficiency of some
of lis best members, for he was al
the heyday of his powers when he was
arbitrarily retired at the age of So
He was in excellent health, in the
midst of some of his best achieve
ments and willing and anxious to &C
on with his work, when the orders
came to cease his activities.
After his retirement Mr.. Bell passed
nearly every winter in India or China
where his services as a consultin,
engineer were welcomed. He came
{ from family of engineers, being the
grandson of James Bremner, who
2 floated the Great Britain" then tbs
largest steamer in the world, when she
a stranded in Dundrum bay on hel
I third trip across the Atlantic Mr.
Bell built some Of the greatest bridge!
in India. Some of these structures ar.
\ great engineering feats, for the de
4 signs have to provide for inundation
and changes in the courses of tn,
q treacherous rivers they span
a Home Secretary McKenna Is beinj
execrated on account of The cat AM
. mouse" bill. but it is generally &C
mitted that one effect of this meas
ure has been to decrease militancy
! those on the fringe of the suffrag
! movement having gone back to cor
stitutonal methods, leaving only tn
irreconcilables to continue the battle
Mr.. McKenna is being attacke
from two sides-on one by the NOR
virulent members of the oppositio
|. press and on the other by the SUI
n porters of militancy in the house {
X commons, the latter section bein
headed by Kier Hardie, the labo
"a socialist member. The position of tn
a home secretary has been and still.
a extraordinarily difficult. He has ha
to deal with the serious crime of wild,
spread arson, and at the same tin
n he has been compelled to keep h
prisoner alive, in spite of their ow
= efforts TO starve. In this connectic
he has had to take into considerable
the grave dislike which many peopl
both pro and anttsuffragists, ha,
n. against forcible feeding.
"a Mrs. Pankhurst does not come und.
IN the act, she can be arrested anywheI
,e and a any time, as she is practical
n On, ticket of leave
re The duchess Of Marlborough. wi
ri was Miss Consuelo Vanderbilt of Ne
d. York, has consented TO act as chai
man OF the new Woman's Municip