DIVIDED UNIONISTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 306, 23 December 1912, Page 5

DIVIDED UNIONISTS.

TROUBLE OVER THE TARIFF.

THE TAXES ON FOOD,

NOT LEFT TO THE COLONIES,

(By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright}

LONDON, December 21

The question of Tariff Reform and the speech delivered on Monday last at Ash-ton-under-Lyne by Mr. Bonar Law (Leader of the Unionist party) continues to create considerable discussion.

Mr. K. E. Smith (Unionist member for the Walton division of Liverpool) stated in a speech last night that if the Unionists abandoned the Tariff Reform policy the party would be so bankrupt in honour and so saturated with poltroonery that it would b e received with contempt in the constituencies and would have to iind new leaders and new followers.

In referring to criticisms of Mr. Bonar Law's recent speech Mr. Smith said that Mr. Law had never suggested that the decision as to the imposition of food taxes should he left to the colonies. It was I never proposed to abdicate the responsi-! bility which the British Government must : owe to the Rritish people. It was only' pointed out that the situation had largely' changed since Mr. Joseph Chamberlain i made his proposals. It was now impossible to introduce Imperial preference without a protracted consultation with the colonies in order that they might state authoritatively what they consider to be of vital importance in carrying out the policy. DRIFTING TO DESTRUCTION. The newspapers give prominence to the dissensions amongst the Unionists in connection with the question of food taxes. The Liverpool '-Courier" la Conservative organ) states that the Unionist party is drifting to destruction, and it demands that a conference of the. Loudon and Lancashire leaders be held in regard to the question of a referendum. The Yorkshire "Post deplores the abandonment of the proposal to take a referendum, which it says would enable many Liberals to vote with the Unionists and enable the party to proceed with their policy in a form commanding general as sent. The "Morning Post" (Unionist! strongly advocates the levying of food taxes. Other Unionist papers are ignoring the question, hoping thereby to heal the dispute. Th<- "-Times" continues to advocate the abandonment of food taxes. It says that in existing circumstances reciprocal preference can well be established without such taxes. The "Westminster Gazette" (Liberal) sums up the situation by saying that the Birmingham party urges that food taxes arc essential, whilst the London partysays that such taxes should not be pressed. PRESSMEN AT WAR. Mr. J. L. Garvin, editor of the "Observer" (a Unionist paper) makes a sensational attack on l.ond Nortbeliffe. the proprietor of the "Daily Mail."' and several other newspapers. Mr Garvin blames the "Times" for following the "Daily Mail's" repudiation of food duties, and he attributes the attitude of both papers to Lord NorthcliiTe's prodigious business commitments. Mr Garvin declares that Lord Northcliffe lias no time for a consecutive study of polities, but that yet he is behind the national scenes exercising an irresponsible despotism which no sane society should allow any man to possess. Mr. Garvin adds: "No meat trust is so langerous as this Press trust." A TACTICAL ERROR. SOUTH AFRICAN VIEWS. CAPETOWN, December 21. The "Cape Argus,'' in commenting on Mr. Bonar Law"s tariff proposals, expresses the view that his recent speech was a tactical error. It states that it does not believe that any Dominion will care to ask for food duties if the British workers resent them. The Johannesburg "Star" (a progressive organ ) states that it is imbued with, the convirtion that Mr. Bonar Law's proposals will lead to enormous benefits, both to Great Britain and to the Dominions.