Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-16
BRITISH DOCTORS /
FOR LABOR UNION
Talk Organization as Result of
Damage Award In
Libel Suit.
LONDON POLICE FORCE
MAY FOLLOW EXAMPLE,
Kplings Bridge Builder" Dies in
London-Cat and Mouse Law
Discussed.
LONDON. August a. ,s,a

LONDON. August @, 1913
The British Medical Association at Hs
annual meeting seriously debated the
OF organizing as a labor
union.
Recently the official organ OF the assoc
citation was mulcted for heavy libel
damages for calling practitioner
quack. Insomuch as. under a recent de-
cision of the British courts. the funds OF
a labor union cannot be touched for
such damages. the doctors felt that the
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 emu
lated the tactics Of labor unionists. Init
in spite OF the reputed higher mentality
OF its members 1t suffered defeat on ac-
count Of q lack OF solidarity, just an
many Of its humber exemplars have.
Police to Follow Example.
Following in the footsteps Of the doc
tors. the police are contemplating the
formation OF a labor union to be called
the Amalgamated Society of Policemen
organ. citing grievances and suggesting
the formation of union as the first step
toward their correction. The chief de-
mand is for a maximum police salary
of $40 a week, and one correspondent
suggests that as the police have to en-
force fair play In the labor disputes OF
others. they should have little difficulty
in enforcing their own demands One
writer limited that 1t might go badly with
the public IL the police struck for their
A. fAF rvwsD 80 Hn
police is due to the suffragettes. whose
activities have added greatly to their
overtime, for which they get no extra
pay. Recently the fierce has been in
creased in order to give longer vacations.
but the men feel that their lot is still
cast in hard places.
Kipling's Bridge Builder" Dead.
James r. Bell. the original Of Kipling's
Bridge Builder" is dead at his homo
here.
Mr.. Bell was a sad reminder OF how the
cast-iron rules of the Indian civil serv-
ice hamper the efficiency Of some OF its
best members. for he was at the heyday
of his powers when he was arbitrarily
retired at the age Of fifty-five. He was.in
excellent health. in the midst OF some Of
his best achievements and willing and
anxious to go on with his work. when the
orders came to cease his activities
After his retirement Mr.. Bell passed
nearly every winter in India or ChiHS
where his services as consulting ensF
neer , were welcomed He came from. 2
Of James Bremner. who fioated the 1GroA4
Britain, then the largest steamer IN the
world, when she stranded In Dundrum
Mr. Bell built some of the greatest
bridges In India. Some Of these structures
are great engineering feats. for the de-
signs have to provide for inundattons ann
changes in the courses Of the treacherous
rivers they span.
Effect Of Cat and Mouse Law.
Home Secretary McKenna Is being exc
Grated on account Of the ''Cat and Mouse
bill, but 1t is generally admitted that one
effect of this measure has been to de-
crease militancy, those on the fringe OF
the suffrage movement having gone back
to constitutional methods, leaving only
the irreconcilables to continue the battle.
Mr.. Mckenna is being attacked from
two sides-on one by the more virulent
members of the opposition press. and on
the other by the supporters of militancy
in the house of commons, the latter Sec
ton being headed by keir Hardie, the
labor socialist member The position OF
extraordinarily difficult He has had to
deal with the serious crime of widespread
arson, and at the same time he has been
compelled to keep his prisoners alive, in
spite of their own efforts to starve. In
this connection he has had to take into
consideration the grave dislike which
many people. both pro and anti sur
fragists, have against forcible feeding.
Mrs. Pankhurst does not come under
the act; she can be arrested anywhere
nd Qf
ticket of leave.
Duchess Heads Municipal Party.
The Duchess OF Marlborough. who was
Miss Consuelo Vanderbilt OF New York,
has consented to act as chairman of the
new Woman's Municipal Party. This or
ganiZation In future municipal elections
will ignore party lines to such an extent
that the American duchess may appear
as the hacker of a socialist candidate.
The new party will only concern itself
with questions which affect women. and
any candidate meeting their approval
will receive support regardless OF the
ticket on which he may be running. The
new party will get down to work at once.
and the duchess will preside at a meet
ing which will decide which candidates
to support at the pending London county
council election at Mile End. No boycott
the party has indicated that IL will seek
to have two or more women on the ticket
In every division.
The council of the new party. which
win meet at Sunderland house. the resi-
dence OF the Duchess of Marlborough, IN
October, represents all classes and In.
cludes working-class members.
Backset for Opium War.
The report of Sir J. N. Jordan. British
minister to China, on the opium ques-
ton indicates that there has been some
in the effort to suppress the
cultivation OF the poppy since the intro
duction of the republican regime.
The report declares that since the fall
Of the Manchus the policy OF suppression
agreed upon between China and Great
Britain has been weakened, and that
there has been an immense recrudes-
cence in the cultivation Of the drug.
In the provinces OF Anhui, Human and
Shantung the campaign for the suppress
sion Of the cultivation OF the plant has
been successful, and in consequence the
Of Indian, opium into these
provinces will cease. But investigation
n other parts Of the republic tells
different tale. In many of the provinces
he authorities are powerless to prevent
,ultivation; in others there il collision
between the powers and the growei4,
and in still others the officials are not
Inclined to deprive themselves OF a rich
source of revenue. -
The reports, however are not all from
,flicial sources. many being supplied BY