CABLE NEWS. PREFERENCE PROPOSALS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume L, Issue 8918, 6 November 1905, Page 8

CABLE NEWS.

PREFERENCE PROPOSALS.

[»y ir.ICTRIC IKLIOBAPH — COPYRIGHT!.]

MR CHAMBERLAIN SATISFIED WITH

PROGRESS.

Ipbjsss association.] (Received November 5, 10 a.m.)

LONDON, November 4.

Mr Chamberlain, speaking at Birmingham, said that whatever the result of the election, it would enable his party to shake off the apathy bom of timorous counsels and half-hearted convictions. Per-

aonally, he was well content with the progress of tariff reform, which had shaken the idol of free imports to its base. They aught have done better if the party had been thoroughly united, or if some of them ■Bad shown more courage and played less for safety. Although Lord Rosebery had declared that the reformers' case was pulnrifled, Mr Asquith admitted that the question of fiscal reform had regained its place as the predominating issue. Although Mr Asquith emphasised the existence of exceptional trade prosperity, the proportion of unemployed had risen 25 per cent., while the standard of wages had fallen, decreasing by two million last year. He would infinitely prefer a powerful party in a minority to an impotent majority.