PREMIER AND CHANCELLOR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 33, 8 February 1910, Page 5

PREMIER AND CHANCELLOR.

MEET ON THE RIVIERA. UNIONIST INTERPRETATION. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 8.5 a.m.) LONDON, February 7. Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. C. F. G. Masterman (Parliamentary Under-Secre-tary to the Home Office), who had been staying in Nice, interviewed Mr. Asquith at Cannes, where the Premier is taking a short holiday. Mr. Lloyd George's presence in the Riviera has aroused much comment Unionists interpret it as an affort by the Radical extremists to influence Mr. Asquith's decision in the policy regarding the I ords. _ WHY O'BRIEN CAME OUT. A PACKED CONVENTION. (Received 8.5 a.m.) LONDON, February 7. Mr. O'Brien states that he re-entered politics because the campaign of vengeance against 20 of his friends took the form of packing Oie convention for the selection of candidates with delegates from specially manufactured branches of the United Irish League. He is willing to attend a round table cmlerence to adjust differences on condition that the "Molly Maguirf.s"' are removed from the mastery of she national funds. TARRHTITE PROGRESS. CHAMBERLAIN'S VIEW. POPULARITY OP LANS TAXES. LONDON, February 7. In an interview with a representative of the "Morning Post" before his departure for Cannes, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain said that the tariff reformers had not done as well as he had expected, but there had been an enormous increase in the votes cast in their favour. They had fared worst where local leaders had been most vacillating and timid.

Food duties must be explained boldly and straightforwardly, he said. The Imperial side was the stronger side of tariff reform, and the working classes were Imperialists. The land taxes were popular in the North of England and Scotland, and the Unionist setback there showed the necessity for a progressive land policy, particularly one encouraging co-operation. While the Liberal tendency was towards a single chamber, the Unionists must aim at strengthening the House of Lords by the reform of its constitution. Mr. Chamberlain added: "Mr. Asquith will find the Irishman a hard taskmaster." LABOUR'S REPRESENTATION. LONDON, February 7. By an overwhelming majority, the Amalgamated Society of Engineers have -allotted in favour of a levy of a shilling per member towards the Parliamentary fund. NO YOKE WITH UNBELIEVERS. A BISHOP'S INTERDICTION. LONDON, February 7. Bishop O'Dwyer, Bishop of Limerick, in a pastoral, countermands the alliance of Irish Catholic M.P.'s with English parties because many English politicians are avowed atheists and Socialists, especially in view of the education question. LABOUR'S PRICE. EXTINCTION OF THE LORDS. (Received 8.40 a.m.) LONDON, February 7. Mr. G. H. Roberts, M.P., Labour Whip, says the party will assist the Government if it abolishes both the financial and legislative veto of the House of Lords. LLOYD-GEORGIAN RIDICULE. CHANCELLOR'S OPINION OF SOME PEERS. "A PRETTY QUARTET." (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, December 24It will give you an idea of the extent to which personalities have entered into the British election campaign if 1 reproduce from Mr Lloyd-George's speech at Llanelly this week his free opinions, freely expressed, regarding a quartet of peers. No speaker in the country has a sharper tongue than the Chancellor of the Exchequer, or a greater facility for turning the laugh against his opponents.

The Llanelly speech in question has been solemnly denounced by the Unionist papers as an outpouring of vile abuse, but 1 think you will agree that it is not abuse, but ridicule, a very different thing. Unlike some of his critic, Mr LloydGeorge does not lose his temper. And if he did, it would not be for want of provocation. Those who deprecate the spectacle of a Chancellor of the Exchequer indulging in personalities on the platform should at least make allowances for the fact that no politician in England to-day Ims had to endure so much illtempered abuse, or has been called so many opprobrious names, a3 Mr LloydGeorge. It is hardly surprising if he yielded to the temptation to hit back now and then.

"Who are the Lords?" ho asked at Llanelly. "With some exceptions they are the owners of lana and royalties. They prey on honest industry, and when you say that class is going to guard the industry of the country it is like putting a cat to look after the cream. (Laughter and cheers.)

"We have four noble lords travelling about the country—Lord Milner—(booing)—well you know him evidently; we are still paying his debts —(laughter)— and until they are paid I think it would be better for him if he stayed at home. ("Hear, hear.") Then there is Lord Cawdor, who has a special claim to speak the mind of the people. (Laughter.) He was rejected twice by constituencies that knew him the best." (Cheere.)

"There are two other noble lords—Lord Midleton—(laughter)—and Lord Curzon — ("Oh, oh!"). They have both been saying rather rail* things about mc.

(Laughter.) I do not mind it, really, but I will show them my appreciation of the rudeness by telling the truth about them. ("Hear, hear"). A BURIED NAME. "Who is Lord Midleton ? I never appreciated the advantages of the hereditary system until I came to Lord Midleton. It has at least one advantage—that it enables a man who used to be called Brodrick to call himself Midleton when he wants people to forget that he ever was Brodrick. (Laughter and cheers.) As Mr Brodrick, he had one claim to distinction—that he wanted more public money than any living man, except Lord Milner. (Laughter and "Hear, hear!") He made such a mesa of the War Office that even the late Tory Government— and I suppose that was about the worst that this country has ever seen—("Hear, hear!") —could stand him no longer, so fhny sent him to the Indian Office to help Lord Curzon to muddle the affairs of our Indian Empire. (Cheers.) If you asked Lord Midleton whether I have been too hard on Lord Curzon, he would say that I had rather under-stated the case, and if you ask Lord Curzon whether he thinks I was too hard on Lord Midleton, he would say I was rather mild —(laughter)—because they do love each other. (More laughter.) "There is this to be said about them. Each of them has just enough intelligence to know that the other is a muddler—(cheers)—'but neither of them has quite enough fco know liow to do better. (Laughter and 'Hear, hear!')

"There are the saviours. These be thy gods, oh, Protectionist Israel! (Laughter and cheers.) It is a pretty quartet —Lord Cawdor, Lord Milner, Lord Midloton, Lord Curzon—singing those Christmas carols about the country." (Laughter.)