THE FISCAL PROBLEM.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 105, 31 October 1904, Page 5

THE FISCAL PROBLEM.

ATTACK ON CHAMBER LAIN ISM. SPEECH BY LORD ROSEBERY. [PRESS ASSOCIATION.] (Received October 31, 8.33 a.m.) LONDON, 30th October. Lord Rosebery, speaking at Trowbridge, made a vigorous assault on Chamberlainism, which, Ue declared, would substitute a mechanical Empire with a commercial centre in Britain, jarred by perpetual friction, for the bond of self-governing communities, until the^ present sentimental policy became merely a tradition. CONFERENCE AT SOUTHAMPTON. UNFAIR COMPETITION. MR. BALFOUR'S CLAIMS FOR POWER. LONDON, 29th October. Fourteen hundred delegates attended a conference of the National Union, Conservative, and Constitutional Associations at Southampton. A resolution proposed by Mr. Henry Chaplin, M.P., was adopted with three dissentients, declaring that the time had arrived for revision of the fiscal policy, and supporting Mr. Balfour's claim for power to deal with the evils of unfair competition. The resolution also favoured the proposal to hold a second colonial conference. An amendment by the free-fooders to restrict the resolution to Mr. Balfour's fiscal policy as unfolded in his speech at Edinburgh found only thirteen supporters. Mr. Chaplin admitted that personally he favoured a more advanced view, but it was desirable to promote unity. A section of the conference was evidently averse to fiscal discussion. Mr. Balfour merely remarked that if his writings and speeches were read without determination to read into them what was not there they would not be found obscure, difficult, or inconsistent.