REMARKABLE SPEECH BY MR LLOYD GEORGE

Evening Star, Issue 14535, 10 December 1910, Page 12

REMARKABLE SPEECH BY MR LLOYD GEORGE

THE COST OF ARMAMENTS. I'RAISJv OF MR CHAMBERLAIN. In a neenf. address before the Liberal Christian league (founded by the R-cv. R. J. Campbell), held at the City Temple, London, the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered a stirring address on destitution and its causes. He said that one factor in tho problem was that both the great political Dailies admitted the salient facts, that neither was satisfied with present conditions, and that both were agreed that these conditions required amendment. Then he went on to speak of the protagonist of Tariff Reform:

I am inn. a Tariff Reformer, but all the same t recognise that Mr Chamberlain's historic agitation has rendered one outstanding service in the cause of the masses. It has helped to call attention to a number of real crying evils among us. He has committed the party who by temperament, tradition, ami interest are opposed to great changes. He has, committed them to propositions which social reformers of other schools of thought have hitherto in vain sought to convert them to. A recognition of and the consequences of such a convention no man can. now predict. Mr Lloyd George proceeded to say that ho nevcv quite r&lised, till he camo to administer the Old Pensions Act, what the poignancy of poverty was. He then found what an appalling mass of respectable, independent, proud inisery existed throughout Great Britain. He had bad occasion during the past two years to look into the Death Duties, and found that out of 420,000 adults who died in tho course of one-year, onesixth owned no property which was worth anyone's while to get a. Government certificate for. Out of 300 millions sterling that passed annuallv at death, about half ha/1 belonged to less than 2,000 persons. Had the 550,000 who died in poverty lod lives of indolence, thrifllessness, and extravaganceH Had tho 2,000 who owned Iwtween them nearly 150 millions sterling pursued careers of industry, toil, and frugality? Everybody know thai, such wn.s not ihe ease. Social reformers should inquire into the wasteful ami extravagant expenditure of the country's resources that tended to depress the standard of living for the lost of the people. Let them, for example, take the money now being spent on armaments both in this and other countries. He wished to have, no mifioonceytien a.s to his meaning. As long as otker countries spent hnge sums on weapons of offence, such expenditure was an undoubted menace to the British Empire. But we must defend at all costs the integrity of tho British Islands and Britain's position of greatness in th<- world. But were this burden of armaments removed. Great Britain could afford to pay every member of the wageearning classes —An Additional Four Shillings a Wee.lc.-~-witltout interfering in the slightest degree with tho profits of capital. Another great source- of waste was the manner in which the land was administered. It was not producing half of what if was capable of yielding. An enormous area of land in England luul been given over to sport. There wei-o too manv of the idle rich—too largo a free, list—which the country could not afford. What was to tie dune? Again he agreed \,iili Mr Chamberlain that whatever was dune, there must, be

A Bold Remedy.— England wa.s hopelessly in arrear. The problem had to be considered on a great seaJe. lie concluded his speech in these stirring terms:

The time has come for a thorough overhauling of our national and Imperial conditions" Woe be to the generation that kicks courage to undertake the task. I believe that the. masses of the people arc rcadv for sveat things—nay, they nro exorctinL' them. Mv counsel to the pcopie of'th-.s country is this: Enlarge tho purpose of vour politics; and when you have done so,'adhere to that purpose with unswerving resolve through all difficulties and through" ail discouragements until your mlcniptioii shall be accomplished.