BOTH TACKLE LABOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 249, 20 October 1924, Page 5

BOTH TACKLE LABOUR.

LIBERAL AND TORY ENTENTE BITTER PERSONAL "FIGHT. "LOW TONE DEPLORED. ,1.-.* l'jjK-.- Press Ass->i-iatlon.--L'opyrlght. I LONDON", October 10. llriluin has now experienced one wi-el 1.1 elect ionet-rilig. In that period thi is.-tic has been practically narrowed dowi to tin- question: -Are you in favour o | Labour or nol ':" I Cynical mcin-bers of the Labour partI an- -aying thai when the Conservative' mid th.- Liberals do agree their iinaiii mity i- uonilerfiil. It is nn undonbtei f.-i.-l. linn most of their speeches arc s. similar tiint newspaper readers wouh nol know if (hey were reading a Libera |or a Conservative speech if they did no' 1 look lo .-cc tlie name of the' speaker 1 Liberal speakers refrain from attackin. the Conservative party, while Conscrvu five speakers never have a word to sin against the Liberals. Rather, they wei come them as long-lost brothers. Some of the Liberals, however, an rather uneasy at. the sudden manifests tinn of affection on the part of tin Conservatives. For instance. Mr. 11. II Asquith, in replying to a heckler las evening, said: "I am not giving nn support to the Conservative party; I aii standing here as a Liberal." Tlie respective. newspaper lender writers are similarly chastened towan each other. They reserve their weapon for tin- Labour party solely. Th. language of both sides was hitter fron the start, but is becoming more bitter. MacDONALD DEPENDED. Public sentiment regarding the bit terncss with which the election is beinf conducted finds expression in the Sunday papers, notably in the "Observer,"' whicl deals editorially with tbe persona aspects, and the "Sunday Express,' which alludes to "the general complaint of personal abuse which is taintinj platform speeches." The article in the "Observer,' which bears evidence of having bcei written by the editor, Mr. J. L. Garvin says: "The election in its low mora tone is bad, ns we expected. We novel remember a worse one. There is nc excuse." The writer proceeds to exclude Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Asquith, and Mr. Lloyc (leorge from his stricture, and says Mr Mac-Donald is less fortunate, but tlm< he has said nothing half as bad as the other parties, have said of him. "While we hope Mr. MacDonnld will remember that he is still Prime Minister,'' continues the "Observer," "we lo not hesitate to express our stronp personal sympathy with him, and must diow why he deserves fairer dealing fron* lis opponents. No competent persor lenics that' Mr. MacDonaid has been a rreat foreign secretary." The writer pro cecds to emphasise Mr. MacDonaid', restoration of good relations betwcei: flritain and France, nnd his work on the Irish Boundary question, the Sudan India, and Irajp Regarding the Rusian Treaty the nrlicle says: "While disagreeing with Hie treaty it is impossible for anyone to dispute the height and breadth oi Mr. Mac Donald's motives. In domestic affairs, however, we have virtually nc Prime Minister at all." THE CAMPBELL CASE. Tlie Campbell case, like King Charles head, continues to crop up in the Conservative and Liberal speeches in a form provoking reply. Speaking at Carmarthen. Sir Alfred Mond asked whether it was a fact that five Labour members of the House oi Commons went to the Home Secretary who took them to the Prime Minister in connection with the Campbell case. He asked, furthermore, whether it was true that the prosecuting counsel had hi? brief marked "Withdrawn by order of the Prime Minister." If so, clearly Labour had not faced an inquiry because they were afraid. Mr. Arthur Henderson. Home Secretary, telegraphed to Mr. MacDonaid characterising Sir Alfred Mond's statement regarding the five Labour M.P.'s a? absolutely untrue. Mr. MacDonaid, in a speech last evening, confirmed his colleague's denial. He said: "The Campbell ease was left under the control of the Attorney-General. All we did was to express our opinions. My own was against a withdrawal of the prosecution. We then told the AttorneyGeneral to go on and do as he liked." Sir Patrick Attorney-Gen-eral, interviewed at Jarrow in reference to the brief alleged to have been marked, said: "I am satisfied from my inquiries that no such document exists." The Secretary for the Colonies, Mr. J. H. Thomas, speaking at Wakefield, Yorkshire, turned the tables on Labour opponents. He said: "I can produce evidence to show that Lord Birkenhead, Lord Hpwart, and Lord Carson had. in their time, not only discussed prosecutions with the Cabinet, but had taken into their councils the public prosecutor in order to discuss the merits of a prosecution. They even went to the extont of instructing the Attorney-General only to proceed if he was satisfied a conviction was absolutely sure." CALM MR. BALDWIN. While all this discussion is going on Mr. Baldwin takes a calm ont'onk. He insists that a stable Government is essential for the nation's securHv and prosperity. Speaking to an audience of 3500 people at the Empire Theatre, Cardiff, last evening, he said the Labour leaders were too busy devoting themselves to international conferences to study tho problems nt their own door. Mr. Baldwin said he often wondered what could not be accomplished if all pulled together for twelve months. If the Labour leaders and the employers in the different industries only got together the country would not know itself. Tlie Labour party had perpetrated a fraud on the peoole when it said it had a positive remedy for unemployment. Mr. Lloyd George, speaking at Llanfaipfeehan, said he bad never before seen an election in whicii Ministers had so completely lost their tempers.— (A. and N.Z. and Reuter.) MINERS AND LABOUR. i I NATIONALISATION OF MINES. LONDON, October 19. I The Miners Federation has issued a manifesto calling on the mining district voters to unhesitatingly support the Labour candidates. It declares that the working classes can be proud of their own Government's record of achievement, J and says if the Labour party is returned to power it will as speedily as possible introduce a bill for the nationalisation of the mine* j