News and Miscellany

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 31, 1911

News and Miscellany

Notes and clippings from the daily and weekly press

— Great Britain has been in the throes of one of the greatest labor strikes in the history of the country. It originated in a controversy between the railroads and their employees, but involved other trades and occupations. In a number of places the military was called into requisition in the maintenance of peace and order, which in several instances could be secured only by the soldiers' firing into the mobs, resulting in a considerable loss of life. The total number of men out on strike, and other toilers made idle in consequence, was fully 700,000. Some 12,000 miles of railroad was tied up. The situation became so serious that the government was forced to take a hand in the settlement of the difficulty. Conciliation boards are to be convened for the settlement of the question in dispute.

— After a discussion on the part of both Parliament and the country generally, covering several months, what is known as the veto bill has been passed by the British Parliament. The lords passed the measure by a vote of 131 to 114. The power of the House of Lords will now be limited practically to a two years' suspensory vote, and the prerogatives of the House of Commons are greatly increased. The upper house was finally led to pass the measure only by the formal announcement that the king himself had consented to exercise his prerogative, if necessary, and create enough new peers of liberal opinions to carry the bill through the upper chamber. The passage of the veto bill really makes the lower house responsible for the general financial legislation of the country.

— Congress adjourned Tuesday, August 22. This special session has been made memorable by the adoption of the reciprocity measure proposed by President Taft. It now rests with the Canadian government to determine its acceptance or rejection of this measure. Other measures proposed by President Taft to this special Congress have not met with the same favor accorded his reciprocity measure. The proposed Anglo-American peace alliance and the Franco-American peace alliance, which, it was hoped, would receive favorable consideration, were rejected by the Senate for the reason that it was felt that, as worded, they would virtually lessen the authority and power of the legislative body. In turn, President Taft vetoed the wool tariff bill, which had been passed by both houses. An effort was made to pass this bill over his veto, but there was a failure in securing the necessary two-thirds vote. Through the action of the special session, both Arizona and New Mexico acquired Statehood, for which they had been working for several years. The constitutions of these States provided for the judicial recall, but this was rejected by the President, who argued that it was a blow at the judiciary, and served to make this department of the government the prey of unreasoning impulse and popular passion.