The Great Round World And What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, November 4, 1897, No. 52

If the horrors of famine overtake the Emerald Isle, the Irish people will certainly demand that this money be returned to them; but the sum is now so enormous that England can never return it in full, and, whatever she does for Ireland, the sister isle is sure to feel defrauded and unhappy.

Last July we told you about a great strike that was going on in London among the engineers. We said that the fight promised to be a long and bitter one, because both masters and men considered themselves in the right, and both had plenty of money to help them to stand by their opinions.

You will be surprised to learn that the strike is still in progress, and grows stronger as time goes by.

When the strike first began, but seventeen thousand men were involved in it; but finding the masters refuse to listen to the demands of the men, the labor unions have decided to call out the workers in thirty other important industries. This will make about four hundred thousand men in all on strike.

The complaint of the men is that they want a working day of eight hours, and do not want to work overtime unless they are paid extra for it.

The engineer's calling is a very hard one; in some branches the men are forced to work around boilers and furnaces where the heat is stifling. They feel that eight hours' labor a day is as much as they should be required to give, and that, if their employers want them to toil longer than their regular hours, they should be willing to pay them liberally for so doing.

The men do not like to work overtime. When their day's work is done they want to be able to go home and rest, and they declare that many of the masters force the men to work after hours without reason.

The contracts for making and building in large enterprises are nearly always what are called time contracts. This means that the contractor agrees to have the work finished by a certain time, and if he fails to keep his part of the bargain he has to pay a heavy forfeit for each day that he is behind time.

When the time for a contract is nearly up, it is often necessary for the men to work overtime to save the master his forfeit.

The men contend that the masters ought to be willing to pay extra for such service. To save them money they are asking the men to toil for them after their full day's work is done, and when they are so tired that it requires an extra effort to do the work.

The leaders of the strike think that overtime is unnecessary if the work is properly handled from the beginning, and they are anxious to make the rate so high that masters will not ask it of their men, unless under very unusual circumstances.

Of late both sides have shown a disposition to settle the strike, because many of the big contracts for work have had to be given out in foreign countries, owing to the duration and strength of the strike; but as neither side seems willing to give in, matters are at a standstill.

The Prince of Wales and Mr. Gladstone have both been asked to arbitrate the strike, but both of these great men have declined to interfere in the matter.

The engineers, however, realize that something must be done, so they are trying to bring the matter to an end by calling out such a number of other workmen that the trade of the country will be brought to a standstill.

There was a rumor that the engineers who work on the steamships would be called out and forced to go on strike. If this should prove true, every kind of business would be interfered with, for no steamers could leave the English ports without properly certificated engineers to run them, and no foreign mail of any sort could be sent out or brought into the country.

The agents of the great lines running between this country and England, which are nearly all owned by English firms, declared that they were not afraid of the strike hurting them. If their engineers should be called out, they asserted that they could find plenty of men to fill their places.

This is all very well from the point of view of the agents seated in their comfortable offices, but very few of us would be willing to trust our lives on the high seas to inexperienced engineers. We do not care to ride on the cars in times of strikes when green hands are put on to keep them running till the trouble is over, and on the cars we can get out any moment we feel afraid. But on the ocean it is altogether a different matter. There is no stopping the car and getting out at the next block, and it would probably pay the steamship companies better to agree to the engineers' terms than to run their ships empty.

The Duchess of Marlborough (formerly Miss Consuelo Vanderbilt) is now the happy mother of a baby son who may one day be the Duke of Marlborough.

When it came time to christen the infant, the Prince of Wales sent word that he would act as godfather to the noble baby.

The child has just been christened, and a grand ceremony was made of the affair in the Chapel Royal, St. James' Palace, which, by the way, is the same church in which Queen Victoria was married.

According to the Church of England, three sponsors are necessary to the christening of a baby. If it is a boy there must be two godfathers and one godmother; if a girl, two godmothers and one godfather.

It was therefore necessary to have two godfathers for this infant, who, as eldest son of the Duke of Marlborough, is known by the title of Marquis of Blandford.

The Prince of Wales was one godfather and the other was Mr. W.K. Vanderbilt, the grandfather of the baby.

The christening was a very grand affair, and after it was over the Prince of Wales presented the infant with a golden cup engraved with his own name and coat of arms, and the baby's name, John Albert Edward William, and the family coat of arms.

It seems that the young gentleman has good manners even at this early age, for when he was handed to his royal godfather for inspection he never whimpered, but, seeming to realize the honor that was being done to him, behaved with perfect propriety.

It may interest you to know that the Princess Kaiulani has arrived in this country.

The Princess is the daughter of Liliuokalani's sister, who married a Hawaiian gentleman named Cleghorn. Kaiulani, who is known as Miss Victoria Cleghorn, is said to be a very charming girl, highly educated and amiable. She is said to be quite pretty, and to look like a Spaniard or Cuban.

She is passing through this country on her way to Honolulu.

Because of the fact which we told you a little while ago that Liliuokalani was talking of abdicating in favor of Kaiulani, every one was anxious to find out from the young princess whether her visit to the Sandwich Islands had anything to do with the proposed annexation.

The young lady refused to speak on the subject. She said that she was simply going there to visit some old friends.

Her father, Mr. Cleghorn, who was taking her to Honolulu, declared himself opposed to annexation, but stated positively that the trip to Hawaii was merely a return home for his daughter, who had been finishing her education abroad.

Affairs in Guatemala continue in an unsettled condition.

While the Government continues to gain the upper hand, and the insurgent leaders are being defeated and obliged to flee the country, the condition of affairs is most distressing.

The rebel cause was so strong that none doubted that it would succeed. Numbers of the best people in the country sided with the rebels, and felt so sure of their ultimate success that they did not scruple to let it be known where their sympathies lay.

Now that the Government and Barrios have gained the victory, there is a panic throughout the country.

It is felt that the dictator will deal out a heavy punishment to all who have revolted against his rule, and in all parts of the country people are fleeing from his wrath, leaving their houses and plantations to go to rack and ruin.

Our Government fears that the lives and property of our citizens in Guatemala may be endangered in the general confusion, and therefore the cruiser Detroit has been sent down to the Gulf coast of Guatemala to protect the interests of our citizens.

We are sorry to tell you that the forest fires are still increasing in New York State.

Half of the people of the town of Huron have been engaged for three weeks in fighting the fires, but have made little or no headway.

Forest fires are also raging on the Alleghany Mountains, and word comes that the town of Altoona, Pa., is so shrouded in smoke from the fires that the sun at noonday is almost invisible.

Better news, however, comes from Nebraska. Rain has fallen there, and the terrible drought appears to be over. The farmers are using every moment of daylight to plough their fields and get them ready for the fall planting.

Showers have fallen almost daily over the State since the drought was broken, and, in the few days that have passed, the grass that was so terribly burned and parched has sprung up anew, until it looks quite fresh and green again.

The farmers are now feeling more hopeful.

We told you about a wonderful roller-boat that was being built in Toronto.

It was given its first trial on Saturday, and Mr. Knapp, its inventor, declared it to be a great success.

People who were on board this strange craft on its trial trip said that when the machinery was put in motion the sensation was anything but pleasant. According to their description, it seemed as if the whole ship was being lifted into the air, and tilted to such angle that it was bound to go over. When they, were half frightened out of their senses by the tilting, there came a noise as if all the machinery was bursting at the same moment, and when they had made up their minds that the whole affair was going to pieces, the vessel began to move through the water.

As soon as it was found that the ship really did move, and that nothing was going to blow up, everybody began to praise her, and the trial was pronounced a great success.

Although at the trial the boat proved very slow, the builder is so enthusiastic about her that he says he is confident she will be able to move through the water at the rate of sixty miles an hour.

If this feat is accomplished, the three thousand miles of sea that divide us from Europe will be crossed in two days and two hours.

G.H. Rosenfeld.

LETTERS FROM OUR YOUNG FRIENDS

Editor Great Round World.

Dear Sir: Can you tell me more about the map-holder mentioned in No. 47?

W.J.B.

Dear Sir:

If you refer to the map-holder for bicycles, we would suggest that you apply to A.G. Spalding & Co., Broadway, New York.

Editor.

Dear Editor:

Will you please explain in the next issue of The Great Round World who are eligible to seats in the House of Lords and in the House of Commons? By thus doing you will greatly oblige one who is very much interested in your paper.

Respectfully yours,N.R.Morristown, N.J.

Dear Friend:

The House of Peers (or House of Lords) is composed of all the peers of the United Kingdom, the representative Scottish peers, the Irish representative peers, and the lords spiritual.

A peer is the holder of one of the five degrees of nobility,—duke, marquis, earl, viscount, or baron. These men have their seats in the House of Lords by right of birth, and take possession of them when they come of age.

The House of Peers takes its origin from the body of lords and barons who were summoned to the king's councils in olden times. Besides the peers who sit in the House of Lords by right, and who are distinguished as the lords temporal, there are twenty-six other lords who also form a part of this body, and who are known as the lords spiritual. These are the two English archbishops and twenty-four bishops.

The House of Commons is composed entirely of men who are elected by the vote of the people.

There are no restrictions whatever of birth, education, or religion. Any freeman who is elected can sit in the House. At one time an endeavor was made to exclude a man who had been elected because he refused to take the oath which is administered to all members of Parliament before they can take their seats. This was Charles Bradlaugh. He said he did not believe in an oath, but offered to affirm, or give his word instead. The House of Commons refused to accept this, and Mr. Bradlaugh was not allowed to take his seat. He afterward stated that he was willing to take the oath as a matter of form, but this was again objected to. For six years he struggled for his seat, and at last was allowed to take it, after going through the form of the oath.

A cobbler has sat in the House of Commons and helped make laws for the people, and the members of Parliament are of all ranks and ages.

In England, however, men of fortune and family take more interest in the affairs of the nation than they do with us, and the majority of the members of the House of Commons are wealthy land-owners, baronets, and knights, who have large interests at stake, and young men of good family who have been educated with the express idea of going into Parliament as soon as they were able to find an opening.

Editor.

Dear Editor:

I am one of your subscribers, and think The Great Round World a very interesting little paper. Do you think the man that went up in the balloon will succeed in finding the North Pole? I hope he will, and when he comes back give us a good history of it. And do you think that Cuba will get its freedom? I hope it will.

Yours truly,Laura G.New Philadelphia Pa.

Dear Laura:

Great fears are entertained that Professor Andrée has fallen a victim to his love for science, and is one more of the unfortunate men who have lost their lives in their search for the Pole.

In regard to Cuba—unless Spain really gives the Cubans liberal home rule that they can be happy under, they will certainly fight until they are free.

Editor.

We have received a batch of delightful letters from a school in Foxboro, Mass. We take great pleasure in printing the three following.

Editor.

Dear Editor:

Your paper came this week. As we read the notes I thought they were quite interesting. I should like to see one of those meteorites you told us about. I shall be very glad when your next paper comes, so I can read about Lieutenant Peary. The school is going to write to you and tell you how we liked your paper.

Yours truly,C. Irene B.Foxboro, Mass.

Dear Editor:

We received our paper this morning. We have only read two stories, but we think we shall like it. Our teacher read us about Lieutenant Peary, and about the meteorites he got from Greenland, and about the Tennessee bicycle. Each one in the school wrote a letter. We are going to select the best ones and send them to you.

Yours truly,Ralph E.Foxboro, Mass.

Dear Editor:

We received our paper to-day. I think we shall like The Great Round World very much. Our teacher read about the meteorites and the bicycles. Each one of us is writing a letter.

Yours truly,Harwood W.

P.S.—I have hurt my right fingers and can't write very well, but am learning to use my left hand.

Foxboro, Mass.

Every one ought to learn to write with their left hand. In England boys and girls are taught to write with both hands. There is a book published explaining the method.

Editor.

Dear Editor:

Can you give me further information relative to condensed food described on page 1267 of The Great Round World? What the probable cost will be; where can it be obtained; how soon before it can be bought; and any other facts you may know relative thereto, and greatly oblige,

Yours truly,  E.A.H.

Dear Sir:

For further information about the condensed food, we would suggest that you address the New York Condensed Food Co., New York.

Editor.