TWO SPECTRES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 47, 19 November 1907, Page 5

TWO SPECTRES.

SOCIALISM: PROTECTION, MR BALFOUR CHAFFED. BIRD WHICH WILL NOT BE CAUGHT. LIBERALS' MISSION. Bl' TEI.ECRAI'II—PRESS ASSOCIATION' —COPYRIGHT. (Roo. Nov. 18, 11.19 p.m.) London, November 18. Mr. Asquith, Cliancollor of tlio Exchequer, speaking at Nuneaton, BUggestod, as a little Birmingham comedy, the salting of Mr. Balfour's tail. Mr. Asquith added: " When Mr. Balfour roso, the bulk of his Protectionist hearers must have asked themselves: 'Shall wo get him?' After his speech, another question must have boen asked with varying degrees of anxiety and assuranco, namely: ' Havo wo got him ?' Aly disinterested verdict is that tho bird has tho best of it." Mr. Asquith continued:—

" Now, It is plain that tho Tory party as a party has been captured by the Protectionists, and 'the < Llboral party stands between tho country and Protection. A return to Protection has now become a moro substantial and more Imminent . danger than the shadowy spectre of Socialism. Tho Liberals' first duty is to show that they are able to combine the Inestimable advantages of' a Free Trado policy with steady, continuous progress and social reform."

THE OTHER DANCER.

MR BALFOUR ON COLLECTIVISM. London, Novembor 17. Mr. Balfour, Loador of tho Opposition, speaking at the opening of tho Unionist Labour Club, at Aston, emphasised tho point that tho welfare of tho community depended on its productive (japacity. If tho workers regarded their own interests thoy would nevor accopt eolloctivist theories, which would mako them tho tools of tho bureaucracy. j THE TURNING POINT. (Rec. Nov. 18, 10.17 p.m.) London, Novembor 18. Tho Earl of Plymouth (formerly Robert George Windsor-Clive, a Conservative, created Earl of Plymouth in 1905), describes Mr. Balfour's spoech as the turning point of tho party's fortunes. , '

Recent political speeches at Ilomo have tended considerably towards crystallising tho issito. Socialism has lately taken tho place of Home Rule as the " spectre" ascribed by the Unionists to the Liberals, 'and now that the Unionist Conference has como out: boldly for tariff reform Mr. Asquith hastens to indicate that Protection is n moro imminent bogey than Socialism. In pitting social reform against Socialism, Mn Asquith uses tho samo argument as tho Prime Minister used last week." The tariffites arguo that social reform on a" large scale, such as old-age" jionsibrig? i 6 not possible without such' revenue as a reformed tariff would give. Mr. Asquith was the principal defender of .Free Trade at tho Imperial Conference.