On the legality of picketing, where the pickets use no other means than pexceable persuasion, the law is still in a somewhat chaotic state, and it is possible that here there is need of fresh legislation. On the whole the Liberal leaders are disposed to champion the cause of the trade unionists; and although the Congress still protests that the Labour Party in the Commons must he indepondent, there is very little daubs that the will be found working in close alli the Liberals at the next Gener] Elect The Liberls are ready to support the nomination of an increased number of Inbour candidates on condition—that in other constituencies lab-ur candidates aye not set up in opposition ty the Liberals. And as ay alliance of this soct ix to. the interests of both it will Biawte has, I believe, never yet succeeded in rebably be carried out. A Labour cana three-cornered fight, though he has often enabled a Conservative to get in for a safe Liberal seat.
Phroso.
'A good deal of curiosity has been excited by an extraordinary being called "Phroso," who is making daily and nightly appearances at the Hipprodrome. He is described as the mysterious doll Dut the question is still "widely debated whether he is an automaton made up in remarkably ood imitation of a man, oreman giftd with wonderful powers of imitating an automaton. He walks, bows, moun's stairs, opens and shuts his yves, and even utters a sentence or two, which may breeeed from a phonograph in his interior. When the famous automaton chess player—which is still in existe co—was making its earliest appestances, Edzar Allen Poe proved to demonstration that a man was concealed in its mechanism; but no Sherlock Holmes has yet solved the mystery of Phroso. Whether automaton or living man its performance is certainly very clever.
The King's HospitaliFund.
A splendid gift to the King's Hospital Fund has just_ been announced. Lord Strathcona and Lord Mount-Stephen have together endowed the fund with a property which now produces £16,009 a year, and which is likely to increase in value. Vhe Fund has made rapid strid-s under the presidency of the new Prince of Wales, and it is now within measurable distance of the goal at which his Majesty he staried the fund in the y Diamond Jubilee—av income of £100,000 ayeer. This princely generosity on the part of two Canadian peers ought to encourage his Majesty's advisers in the policy of elevating distinguished Colonials to the Upper House.
An R. A. in Distress. of Mr. Beaderck Gontall RAs muse be Evidencegiven in respect ofthe bankruptcy sad reading for artists." At one time the famous painter was making an income of £10,000 " year, but the market-price of his work fell lower and lower till he had a difficulty in making a tenth of this sum. And it cannot be suid that the decline was due tony marked falling off in the quality of his work. But apart from the causes which have lately operat-d to the disadvantage of all artists, there is a tashie in art, and it may be that yet, when it t"o late to benefit the painter, Mr. Goodall's style will again be in dommd. It must also be acknowledg-d that artists of great accomplishment are more numerous now than in Mr. Goodatl's most prosperous years. It is satisfactory to know, since Mr. Goodall is now a confirmed invalid, that the Royal Academy possesses funds for benevolence which render it impossible that any of its members should even approach absolute want.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.