Factions Differ.

Grey River Argus, 20 January 1922, Page 5

Factions Differ.

COALITION AND ELECTION. BRITISH CABINET CRISIS. UNIONISTS v. LLOYD GEORGE. TORIES WANT LORD’S VETO RESTORED. There is a growing breach between the Unionists and Lloyd George element in the British Government. The Pope is seriously ill with bronchitis. Germany has made the first of a series of 10-day reparations payments of 31,000,000 gold marks. Sir Ross Smith has a boat for the machine on which he will try to fly round the world. Professor J. Huxley suggests the possibility of scientifically restoring the balance between the human sexes. [A. and N.Z. Cable Association.] (Received January 19, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, January 19. Although a general election lias been postponed from February till later, a Cabinet crisis has developed, since Lloyd George’s return. The Premier strongly resents Sir George Younger, Unionist Whip’s public threats of a withdrawal of the Unionists from the Coalition if a general election is held before the reform of the House of Lords is carried. Mr Lloyd George also resents Mr Ar 4 en Chamberlain’s failure to control Sir George Younger, whose manifestos and speeches have virtually claimed Mr Chamberlain’s support. It is reported that Mr Lloyd George has threatened to resign, and to take the Coalition-Liberals into opposition, thus handing over the Government to Mr Chamberlain, whose Unionist supporters constitute a majority in the House of Commons. The break up of the Coalition will now be inevitable if the Unionists endeavour to compel Mr Lloyd George to introduce a Bill for the reforming of the House of Lords. The Unionists want the restoration of the House of Lords’ power of veto, which the Asquithian Parliament Act, of 1911, abolished. The Coalition-Liberals, however, will not support such a restoration of the veto, except to a purely elective second chamber. The interest in the Cabinet crisis has been increased by the political leaders’ latest public engagements. Mr Chamberlain speaks at Glasgow to-day, and at Edinburgh with Sir George Younger to-morrow. Mr Lloyd George will address a conference of the Coalition-Liberals in London on Saturday. It is stated that Mr Lloyd George’s speech will be of the utmost importance, but whether it will be a castigation of Sir George Younger or an attempt to heal the dissension in the Coalition, is unknown.

BALANCE OF SEXES. TALK OF ALTERING IT. PROFESSOR HUXLEY’S IDEA. (Received January 19, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, January 18. Professor Julian Huxley, of New College, Oxford University, discussed the sex question before the Royal Society of Arts. He dealt with the scientific progress made in the determination of sex. Professor Huxley referred to there being an ultimate possibility of altering the sex balance in man, besides animals. Regarding domestic animals, he declared that it should prove possible, during the next 50 years, to separate the different sorts of spermatozoa in the laboratory, then resort to artificial fertilisation, and so secure offspring of the desired sex. THE POPE ILL. PRAYERS ORDERED. [A. and N.Z. Cable Association.] (Received January 19, 10 p.m.) ROME, January 19. His Holiness the Pope is ill. He is suffering from bronchitis. His temperature is 102. Prayers have been ordered for his recovery.

LONG FLIGHT. ROUND THE WORLD. ROSS SMITH’S NEW PROJECT. [A. and N.Z. Cable Association.] (Received January 19, 8.15 p.m.) LONDON, January 19. Arrangements for Ross Smith’s flight round the world are progressing. A special amphibious flying boat is being constructed at Vickers’s sheds, Brooklands, similar to the Viking machines which travelled from the Seine to the Thames. Smith will follow the coast for the greater part of the journey, and will alight on the water where necessary. The chief land stretch en route planned is across Canada. GERMANY PAYS. 31,000,000 GOLD MARKS. (Received January 19, 10 p.m.) PARIS, January 19. The Allied Reparations Commission officially announced that Germany has paid a sum equivalent to 31,000,000 gold marks, this being the first of a series of payments which she is to make at 10 days’ intervals. WARD’S WARNING. AGAINST STATE BACKING SPECULATORS. WILL RAISE TAXES. (Per Press Associate on.) INVERCARGILL, January 19. Sir Joseph Ward, speaking here to-night, referred to Dominion affairs generally. He deprecated the idea of the State coming to the assistance of the speculative institutions, or of speculative individuals, who were hard pressed by the existing conditions. If such a policy is pursued, he said, those who were carrying the burden of taxation to-day would, in a few years time, be staggering under a load, compared with which the present one was small. Sir Joseph said he favoured giving assistance to the bona fide farmers. He added that he would not consider the matter of entering into the wrangle of politics again, until he was a stone and a-half heavier. IMPORTED COAL. IDLES TWO AUCKLAND MINES. RAILWAY CONTRACTS CANCELLED. . (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, January 19. The Taupiri Extended Coal Mine, at Huntly, was idle to-day. This was owing to a notification by the Railway Department that it could not continue to purchase 500 tons of steam coal, as under the existing contract. In reply to representations by the Hon. Mr Alison, it is stated that, owing to large stocks of coal being in hand, and other stocks to arrive, the contract could not be continued. This statement refers, of course, to extensive committments made by the Government (owing, it is claimed, to the miners’ late “go slow”). It is expected that the Rotowaro Mine will be idle to-morrow. The company state the termination of the contract will necessitate each of its mines being idle for one day a week.