DUNDEE ELECTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 195, 12 May 1908, Page 7

DUNDEE ELECTION.

WHAT IS TAB MORAL? ' LIBERAL FREETRADERS REJOICE. UNIONIST VIEWS. 1 SUGAR CONCESSION A " BRIBE." 3Y TELEGRAPH —rBESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT (Rec. May 11, 9.40 p.m.) . Lcncion, May 11. With regard to the Dundee election, where Mr. Churchill (President of the Board ,-f Trade) polled 7079 votos against the 4370 of tho Unionist aiid 4101 of the Labour candidates, "Tho Times" says that tho great surprise of the election was the large shrinkage of' the Labour vote. The "Daily Chronicle" considers tho Dundeo result a smashing blow to tariff reform. . Tho "Daily Tolcgraph" says that the final phase of thb election was practically fought on the .basis of 'a claptrap Budget Cheap sugar, introduced at such a juncture, was'a, direct bribe to the local material interests if Dundee. The. "Daily News " Scotland's staunchnoss in tho Liberal cause continues." Tho'" Standard " states that the reduction of : the duty on sugar was the determining, factor of tho election. , 'Mr. Churchill claims that " this 1 thunderbolt from the North .is a triumph for Freetrade, temperance, and Liberalism." The ridiculous antics of the Suffragists brought him the valuable assistance of enormous masses ,of Liberal women. Also, the Socialists committed the mistake of sneering at the Government's old ago pension scheme.

A FARTHING ON SUGAR. ; A prominent place among tho industries of Dundee is occupied by the manufacture of marmalado and.confectionery, licnco the "Daily Telegraph's" .remark about a "direct, bribe." Mr. Asquith's Budget, 'introduced on Thursday, slates that the proposed reduction of the duty on . sugar to 2s. 4di. per cwt., or; Jd. per .will cost the revenue' £3,400,000. The former duty was roughly'Jd., so tho rcductibn is'by about .one-half. Those .who have.supported a reduction of the tax contend that the concession of this farthing, will benefit not only tho manufacturers but also many of. the small poor ' consumers, for "more people deal, with farthings than the Chancellor of the Exchequer knows about.". " / That the; conceded farthing will bo-a big 'thing to industry is undoubted. The "Financial Reform Almanac" puts the argument of the anti-tax - party qs follows:—"For' twentysoven years previous to 1001 we had free trade sugar,, and the consumption- per head increased steadily until in ISOI it re&ched 89.291b. per head. For 1906 it was only 85.081b; This represents not 'merely a' reduction . in' the amount, of sugar, as such, consumed by tho people, but also a great, reduction, in' tho use of sugar in tho making of jam's, confectionery, etc. ' The following one of the greatest living authorities' among -manufacturing confectioners:' From .tho repeal of the old sugar duty up to. the ijnposition of tho .war tax in 1901, an abundant and generally cheap supply of its main raw materials enabled the British confectionery .manufacturing industry to progress by leaps and bounds. From an insignificant subsidiary industry it developed steadily until it'completely, overshadowed in importance sugar refining/ which had for long been' regarded as a staplo trade at, several of the great British ports. "To supply tho needs of confectionery, many 'special trades had been, in' the quarter of a century referred to, created, and! so regular! 'is the demand for machinery that at tho present timo quite a ; number "of engineering establishments practically 'subsist oil the business, done with manufacturing .confectioners., This statemont. also applies to wooden, tin, and cardboard making," printing, bottiemaking, , and/a variety, "Of -other trades.' Until 1901,. this ;progross rwas- uninterrupted. Tho selection of confectionory as tho only trade to bedr a tax. on its raw material' has seriously, checked its development, and has inflicted individual losses which can, never be retrieved. ■ Up to J9Ol there ; had been 'a'fairly steady ihicreaso in the' number of manufacturing confectioners -every year. Although' statistics are not available for the ■ whole country, the London Diroctory shows the disappearance iof 61 firmsj of manufacturing confectioners between 1801 and 1907. It, is. true that instead-of the missing. 61 manufacturers 39.. have been added, but the greater number 'of these do not replace those who have disappeared. They are' prin- : oipally dealers and agents,' ninny of them re- ! jpresenhne foreign manufacturers, who are j'succcssfully forcing .their way into our markets." -

As regards tho Dundee election, it is true that in 1906 /the Liberal 'majority over tho highest Unionist candidate was 5411; and over the highest unsuccessful candidate 3154; and that Mr. Churchill's majority is 2709.' Buttho Liberals have not lost as much ground as would'appear, because Dundee is a two-member 'constituency, and whereas there wero five candidates in 1006 there, were 1 , three in the present case.'. Taking percentages of tho votes polled, in 1906 the Unionists polled' 24 por cent, of the total vote, in 1903 27; the Liberal percentages Being 52 in 1906 and in 1908 43. In 130G thero wero, 6122 Labour votes, in 1908 4104. > .