The St. Helens Examiner, and Prescot Weekly News. — 1905-12-30 (Saint Helens, Merseyside, England)

FINANCE. fulfilled, readers of this journal know as well as.: 1 As I say. the Fiscal campaign was the despe- I do. , rate attempt of recklessness to give the Tory Then arctic the question of the grave moral party a sporting chance of recovery. For, at de.moralitsation which would follow the cooping ' any rate, it covered effectually for the moment up of tens of thousands of low-type Chinese ' several grave matters upon which the Govern- coolies in compounds apart from their women, ment dare not let the public eye rest. The folk. Upon this the Episcopal Bench in the criminal .blunders of the War was one of these. House of Lords showed grave and very properel The hopeless muddle into which wilful extrava- anxiety, 'which was assuaged with curious exga.nce and helpless incapacity had brought the pe4dition when Mr. Lyttelton stated that it was , rational finance was another. The people were the Government view that it would be manifestly s faced in 1902 with the fact that already their improper for the coolies to come without their • 'expenditure account had been run up by two women-folk, and that very facility should be or three hundred millions. (To-day we find given to them to bring their women-folk with ourselves ruefully confronted with the gloomy them. To-day there are between 45,000 and .ciecumetance that we have spent in the ten 50,000 coolies in the compounds, and I should years of Tory administration a sum qf 600 very much doubt if there are a score of Chinese millions more than the standard of 1895, making women amongst them. I confess I should like all normal allowances for increase of population to know whether Dr. Davidson, Dr. Gore, and and so on. To-day we are faced with the fact Dr. Talbot are able to contemplate the spectacle that, in addition to the new Sinking Fund and with equanimity. For myself, I cannot. the new interest upon a' new National Debt of Having thus soothed the Episcopal breast, 000 millions, we are spending, at a time of pro- there remained the British working-man, found peace, one million more a week than we who was rather anxious lest the coming were, in 1895 on our public services, and getting of the coolie should reduce the opporthe work done by fifty per cent, as well.) tunitiee for work of the white miner. • People were faced in 1962 with the fact that Then, with similar alacrity, the late Government the income-tax, which stood at 81. in 1895, had was ready with its assurances. So far been run tip to is. 3d.. or nearly doubled! They from reducing the number of white miners Mr. were faced with the fact that additional taxation Lyttelton, Mr. Balfour. and Lord Milner were to had been laid upon their tea, their export coal, be found tumbling over each other with the most their flour, and their bread. So they were specific assurances that t•hey would never have angry and dieillue•oned. Honour demanded that thought of entering upon the matter were they the Government should have gone to the not firmly convinced' that the advent of the country: self-preservation dictated a reckless coolie would make more work for the white man. attempt to confuse the public mind. Hence, The sequel of all thie—and it, is all of a piece as I say, the Fiscal campaign.  All this is bad enough, but national shame and abasement are not complete until we contemplate the treatment which the coolie has received. The 1,700 desertions, and the 21,000 cases of "unlawful absence from work," are eloquent testimony as to the nature of the treatment which is their daily portion under the British flag. That this should have been the sequel to a war which involved so much expenditure of life and treasure represent the gravest blot on the record of the present administration. At. the instance, as I say, of unscrupulous greed, they have written the words "Chinese Slavery" across the name of "Wilberforce" in the annals of the race. They have impudently violated the spirit which has made the British people great. They have cynically trampled upon the British tradition in favour of Justice and Freedom. The soldier in South Africa buried the Union Jack after Majuba. It would have been better to have left it where it was than to have dug it up to put this stain upon it. In reward for his patience, endurance, chivalry, and gallantry, the soldier sees the shadow of the Chinese compound fall across the grave of his dead comrade. And if the Liberal Party comes into office charged by public opinion with no other duty, it is charged by the outraged conscience of the people of this country to bring this ugly thing to an end as rapidly as possible.  Round the- table were seated men and women—some had fallen forward, one or two had slipped sideways off their chairs. One was seated in a great chair at the head of the table in an easy natural attitude, a white rose in his buttonhole, and one lay prone on the floor.  With a bound Sir Hugo was at his side, and they stood together, drinking in the strange sight as the men picked themselves up off the shattered door.  Verschoyle and Montgometie approached the table and its ghostly company, and the latter laid his hand on "Mr. Stuart."  "He's warm, sir ; he's quite warm," he exclaimed excitedly. "But they're all dead," said Sir Hugo grimly," nevertheless. Can't you see what it is, man ? It's suicide, wholesale suicide ! And perhaps it's better so." he concluded under his breath.  "There's another right under the door, sir," said one of the awe-stricken men, coming forward ; "and we've rolled on top of him. I guess he was the one who turned off the light." And they turned over the mangled corpse of the imperturbable Atherley, crushed almost out of recognition..  iTo be concluded.) .  Much the citizens of to-morr'o the pupils of the Board schools) had alw  TO