UNKNOWN

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17940, 7 December 1923, Page 9

UNKNOWN

■ fHoN appeals. ! SOUND THE j Hid ® f. messsc' ' ,heir ov,n MfccD o&alt3 ' 8 ar ' peal vi & never so devoted in its support of the #Sf [ hope the electors will « European settlement, now depend felloff-countrymen that J unemployment, but , Freetrade ml wmlmri « ever > w * ,le tha IMS# to prot«ctj° nist allies is protectionist enemies rH. in his final spcech BbSum** ewwetion is that this recklessness, imMK audacity, has no pnralof modern democracy. ■ELjiailoui attempt to dethrone H* fd to impoverish the life of at Preston, said : Mfw-ihe-ptill message is one of Mgy (juJdfliM*- Everywhere tho themselves from the in the attempt to which is not political, nf life. Labour men are. Labour Party because, j«jjLto being slaves of the Soft)! FRENCH INTEREST. B&AfIffWITH BALDWIN. 6th, 7.45 p.m.) Wk J,PARIS, December 6. Big iatyttti in the election has Mr Baldwin's and Hjgfefy'i 4*eUratiooa that the remains faithful to friendship with France. if Mr Lloyd to power, the ex■wppl'm Europe will become ■HlMore to-morrow's vote is correspondent of the flHPiiit 11 says that ihe French doe* not welcome Pro■||»pEiiglaDd, but prefers Prollli&dfcai or Labour QovTOUldfind it diffiterns with a or with by Mr Lloyd as a personal Bjih, 7.45 p.m.) Dacember 6. 'gteat reception on ■Jggpf Sis, constituency, esins birthplace. He party has a fcffoT'W to propose for He rearticle of staple tyliSTO a tax on it—(Laughter and will continue to fran German j," HHBwiM'but people must not iigh. They must debts can of goods. HraMPdßM** tTftde balanced, to Russia or else* flKSlfljjtetK Btti. do not let ua beGerman reBUokpool, said that Britain to ■gKltaftHl half way. This HggfiliNtt to determine whether fIP "No." ' for Lloyd warmly; "I will j meeting pam# booed! I KSIt ® Wa did during the | that even lie realises the ■nFjPj SotauuoQß, may even say 'We must not ba BBJ*® BAB ADDRESSED ■bBBE* WU4ON. C4U£ ASSOCIATION.) 7-45 p.m.) BEy°N, December 6. WRWtell, Mr Lloyd M clear and powerM>oke with verve, fitness, largely HP]m"«.!vt ll^Cro^oue amplifiers to address mKUPr* Btra his tiat half a milhim during this behalf of his to hold - it*?' * Br> Lloyd MBbctW x where his W %oiigh the town, ft roadway. m the drill hall, he stood

on the flat roof of the pavilion and addressed thousands on the street, but there was considerable interruption throughout his speeches.

NEWSPAPER ADVICE. WEATHER PROMISES FINE. (Received December Cth, 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, December 6. Tho ''Daily Chronicle" urges electors to vote Liberal, and so steer a safe middle course between two perils—Conservatism's tariffs and Labours capital levy. The ''Daily Telegraph" says: "If the Liberal and Socialist orators who have been predicting such dire and terrible results from Protection were to make the same speeches to the Englishspeaking democracies of Australia, Can-, a dr.. New Zealand, or South Africa they vrould be laughed cfi the platform." Tht* "Morning Post" says that the choice to-day may be described as "Th<i Empire for the English, or England for the foreigner." Freetrade had brought wealth to the few, brat never at any time to the many. weather, on winch so much depends, promises to be fine.

WILL DO ITS DUTY. LEADER'S FAITH IX LABOUR. (Received December 6th, 8.10 p.m.) LONDON, 6. The "Daily Herald" says:— "The Tory-Liberal plot to smash the Labour Party and to revive the old sham fights over Protection and Freetrade hss failed. The issue before the country is the straight one Between wage-earners and profit-takers, between workers and idlers, between the new order and the old." Mr Bamsay Mac Donald, in a final message, said:— "I httTo never known such fervour in our movement, nor so much gross misrepresentation, malignment, and suppression of facts by the Press of the other parties. I have been all over the country, and have no fearß of the result. Labour to-day will do its duty." Mr J. H. Thomas, at Dfcrby tonight, predicted that the election would end in a stalemate. "There will not be a Government majority," he said. "An unprecedented constitutional difficulty will arise, necessitating a coalition or another election in a few months. I know people who ore deliberately planning this, because the Liberals and the Conservatives have their party war-chests, whereas Labour depends on the pence of the people. EMPIRE GOMES FIRST. BEAVERBROOK'S POLICY.

(Received December 6th, 8.15 p.m.)

LONDON, December 6,

Lord Beaverbrook, in a column article in the "Daily Express," saya:— "I seem to be about the only tariff reformer left who dares to-day to declare openly and without qualification that I stand exactly where I did when I entered Parliament 13 years ago," He declares that Mr Baldwin's pledge is an absolute bar to the development of an Imperial policy of exchange, on which & free industrial life depends. Lord Beaverbrook concludes: —

It is the duty of eyery elector to ▼ot® for the candidate who cares most for tho Empire, irrespective of party.

A BOLD FRONT. ALL PARTIES SANGUINE. (j? CABLE —PBESS ASSOCIATION— OOPSJUOHT-) Quurra&'s tkjkhum.) LONDON, December 5. The eve of polling day finds all parties confident of improving their positions. An official at Conservative headquarters declared that, given fine weather, tho Conservatives hoped not only to maintain their majority, but even to increase it. It was stated at Liberal headquarters that the canvass had been very encouraging- Groat Liberal enthusiasm was reported all over the country. Officials declined to make a forecast, but declared that if promises made were fulfilled everybody was in for a big surprise. Labour headquarters are confident that they will increase the party's representation. Polling day in West Derbyshire (where the Liberal candidate, Mr C. F. White, died) haa been fixed for December 20th. The Liberal candidate bas not yet been selected.

PREMIER'S MANIFESTO. PROTECTION TO AID TRADE. (u;urea's TEutoßAiti,) LONDON, December 5. Mr Baldwin on tha eve of the election issued a manifesto surveying postwar conditions in Britain, resulting in trade depression, which led to unemployment. "With a view to coping with unemployment, he invited a mandate on the Protectionist policy, since the alternative of continuing palliative measures cannot provide a permanent remedy. He does not believe that tariff proposals would result in a general increase in price to the consumer, but if monopolies keep prioes high so that 110 benefit reaches the consumer, the Government will deal with the question. Ho pointa out that trusts exist under Freetrade, and it will be easier to deal with combines in Britain, than trusts created by foreigners abroad.

MOB CHIVALRY. WOMAN SPEAKER INJURED. (aiCTEa's TXI.IG2U.IIS.) LONDON, December o. Further election rcwdyisai is reported to-day. The Conservative candidate at Newport, Monmouth (Mr It. J. Clarry), and his wife, were surrounded by a hostile crowd in tho docks district. Stones and mud were thrown. Mrs Clarry v/as shuck by mud and kicked on the "eg. Lady Eustace Percy was badly injured alter a meeting at Hastings in support of her husband. Crowds of rowdies in the hall interrupted the speeches. Later n crowd surrounded Lord Eustace's car. During the confusion Lady Eustace's right arm became jammed in the door of the car end was badly bruised. The crowd jeered and shouted as the car drove off.

Sir William Prescott, Conservative candidate at North Tottenham, who is opposed by Liberal and Labour candidates, abandoned his meetings owing to rowdyism. It is announced that Viscount Curzon cancelled two women's meetings at Battersea i'n the interests or public safety, owing to numerous threats of extreme violence by Communists md Socialists.

MAIN RECOIL ON BRITAIN. FRENCH VIEW OF PROTECTION. (iUSTBALIi:-; AXO K.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) PARIS, December 5. '"Xe Temps" says:— "If Mr Baldwin is successful in having a tariff wall erected against the importation of manufactured goods, other industrial countries, menaced by the Joss of the English market, will be subjected to more troublesome competition from British manufacturers. ' "Such a prospect would not be alarming during prosperous times, but at present other nations may be compelled to look for opportunities elsewhere equal to those of which they may be deprived in the English market. Some may find it necessary to enter into agreements to avoid competition with each other in certain markets. "Mr Baldwin's protectionist policy may therefore recoii on England before sho has time to reap the fruits of the protective tariff," LABOUR FLYING SQUADRON. tBETTTZS'S T2LEGBAVS..) LONDON, December 5. Mr Ramsay Mac Donald, speaking at Aberavou, during a whirlwind tour of hi 3 constituency in which he is accompanied by Dr. Addison, asked what Preference would be possible after £266,000,000 for food and raw materials was deducted from £318,000,000 worth of imports from the Dominions.

He declared that the Labour Party was amazed at the way the Government neglected the colonies other than the self-governing States and concluded by stating that representatives of all tnj Dominions would attend the Imperial Labour Conference next" year to discuss the whole question of Imperial trade, immigration, aud economic relations.

LAST YEAR'S ELECTION. HOW THE PARTIES STOOD. As reconstituted after the formation of the Irish Free State, the House of Commons consists of 615 members, distributed as follows: ENGLAND: Counties .. .. 230 Boroughs .. • 255 Universities •. 7 WALES: Counties . .i •. 24 Boroughs •; .. 11 University .. 1 SCOTLAND: Counties • • 38 Boroughs •; •. 33 Universities •. 3 - 74 NORTHERN IRELAND: Counties . ■ .. & Boroughs -. 8 University .. 1 Grand Total 615 Last election —"held 13 months ago —was the first held after the dissolution of the war-time Coalition. It saw the Liberals go to the poll as a divided family, the National Liberals looking to Mr Lloyd George as their leader and the other branch to Mr Asquith, Now that breach lias been healed.'' The Conservatives were roturned iu 1923 with an absolute majority of 79. This was the lowest Government majority for 30 years; but the rapid development of the third party in recent times has rendered overwhelming party majorities most unlikely. The strength of parties after last year's poll was: Conservatives .. 347 Labour .. 139 Liberals .. 59 National Liberals .. 58 Independents .. 5 Co-operators ~ 4 Nationalists .. 2 Communist ~ ] Sinn Fein ~ j_ As compared with the state of affairs at the dissolution in October, 1922, the Conservatives lost 19 seats, tha National Liberals lost 16, the Liberals gained 27 and. Labour gained 58. For the first time in history, Labour took its seat as the Opposition.