THE BRITISH ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 51, 23 November 1929, Page 11

THE BRITISH ELECTIONS

CONSERVATIVE FAILURE ATTEMPT TO HOLD POSTMORTEM CONFERENCE OF UNIONIST ASSOCIATIONS (United Preßa Association.— By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright) (Rec. November 22, 8.40 p.m. London, November 21. An attempt to hold a postmortem into the cause of the Conservative failure at the recent election was badly beaten at the annual conference of the Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations. London, November 21. Colonel W. Grant Morden, in moving for an independent committee to examine into the working of the central office of the organisation, in order to devise closer co-operation, expressed the opinion that the present methods were out of date. The leader of the party had more power than a Tammany Boss. The conference’s resolutions were consistently disregarded, notably upon the reform of the House of Lords and the safeguarding of industry. They had faced the elections without a policy and therefore without a soul. Mr. J. R. Remer, in seconding the motion, mentioned that an additional handicap was the absence of Press support, due to the party heads deliberately embittering the newspapers. Sir William Ray deprecated the exhibition of feeling among members of the party. If the Archangel Gabriel was their leader he would be criticised, but he would blow his trumpet more loudly than Mr. Baldwin had done. An amendment appreciating the appointment of a sub-committee to investigate the troubles was a large majority, the mover, Mr. Herbert Williams, expressing the opinion that the only way to run the party was to elect a leader and then back or sack him. A long debate took place on Sir Page Croft’s motion favouring Imperial preference. Safeguarding, Sir Page said, should be in the forefront of the programme, on which to educate the electorate, with a view to success at the next election. They should also oppose the repeal of the McKenna duties. Mr. Boyce, who is an M.P. from Australia, said: “If the Dominions become weary of our vacillation and withdraw their preferences, our unemployment will be trebled overnight.” There was a scene of indignation and excitement when Captain Pierrepont opposed the motion, saying it would be truer to say bamboozle instead of educate the electorate. Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister said that unemployment would be the test at the next election, and its only cure was better trade. Mr. James Gardner, who was a trades unionist for forty years, declared: “If the Conservatives do not produce a bold policy of Imperial preference, don’t be surprised if the Socialists do.” The motion was agreed to with only three dissentients. Mr. Neville Chamberlain was elected president.