BRITISH ELECTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 May 1929, Page 5

BRITISH ELECTIONS

PREMIER OPENS CAMPAIGN

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyi ignt).

LONDON, May 10

Ml 1 ' Sta'niay Baldwin inaugurated the Unionists Party’s campaign by addressing an audience of ten thousand at the Albert Hall. He said that a great fight was beginning, and it was on the anniversary of the General Strike, which Mr Ramsay MacDonald now disowned, but he forgjt that it was the direct logical outcome of Labour’s propaganda of violence. Those who preached these doctrines sowed the wind, but the nation reaped the whirlwind. They challenged law and order. The Government of the country thus headed s’might f< 1 ana (by and despotism Tint the overwhelming mass of the British people stood be.iind the present U.'.eminent, whose policy for the past two years had been so successful that o v en the Socialist leaders now preached the doctrine of moderation, but behind them there still stood people wno believed in revolutionary methods.

Mr Baldwin said lie did not 'fear the Liberals, because the brains, money, and dynamic forces of their Leader were of no avail unless soul and fire could be breathed into Liberalism's dry bones. Mi" Baldwin enumerated steps that his Government had taken jn the direction of social reform and of increasing employment. They were prepared, he said, to put the:'* hands to the plough with the seme I'liorgy. Illustrating the nation’s recovery since 1924, the Premier said wholesale prices had Talien over fifteen points, and the cost of living eighteen points, declaring the real vdue of wages had therefore risen. He said the savings of .small investors had increased by £170,001),000. He ,said shipbuilding was improving, and that the iron and steel' trade was better even than the coal, trade, which was showing considerable improvement, as more men were working and more coal was being produced.

INCREASED DUTIES URGED

LONDON;, May 11

In an election address, which he has issued in pamphlet form, Mr Baldwin stresses that, among the means of assisting tlie Dominions, there is the cooperation and expansion of the value of Imperial preference, which, since 1924, ho says; has ;been stabilised and. extended with excellent results. The Empire to-day was far their best market, buying nearly as much manufactures as .all of the foreign countries

together. He continues; “Our Liberal! and Socialist opponents, by their actions in 1924, and their declarations since, have shown a .determined' hostility to the whole idea of preference. AVe, on the contrary, have demonstrated its great possibilities, and, subject to my pledge not to impose any protective taxation on .food we shall continue to promote it as an essential part of our policy of Imperial development.

A LABOUR ATEAV

LONDON, May 10

Mr Ramsay MacDonald speaking at Seahami, said: “If the present Government is returned to Downing Street, it will get straightway into its political pyjamas, and stay there for the next five years.”

SwWIE OF THE CANDIDATES.

A MIXED LIST

(Received this A"- •' ° a.m.) LONDON, May 12

Lists of election candidates afford eviden.ce of the revolution in politics, even within a decade. Women provide the most surprises. Jessie Stephen (Labour for Portsmouth) till a lew years ago was a domestic. She is now a good speaker and unflinchingly addressed a meeting of two thousand. She plays a good game of billiards, and writes able, trenchant articles. Other Labour candidates include .Vliss Victon Turberville, whose ancestors came over with the Conqueror. Lady Clare Annesley, daughter of the Karl who gave up fox hunting to propagate Socialism; and Monica Whate]y ex-policewomen. Liberals include Nancy Parnell, a school teacher, niece of the famous Charles Stewart Parnell. Mrs Hoffman, an American, now a naturalized British subject, who claims descent from Anne Boloyn, Wealthy young Conservatives fighting in the East End of London include Evan Morgan, the artist poet, and heir to Lord Tredegar, who will be one oi the richest men in the country. He is tack.ing Limeliouse. Lord Knebworth (Shoredicth), Sir Treshaur Lever (South Hackney) son of the Minister of Agriculture is fighting Harry Gosling (Whitechapel). Conservative working men 'ineludo Gioilvm Rowlands, and Alfred Coates, members of the Amalgamated Engineering Union. Labour’s increasing number ot unorthodox candidates include Sir John Maynard, ex-finance minister of the Punjab, John Stracliey (son of the exeditor of the “Spectator,”) horns Senn (son of Bishop Fcnn), Rev. Gordon. Land fa non-conformist minister) cousin of the Primate of Derwent, Hall Caine (son of the novelist.) Liberals include Beskctt Williams, a distinguished young composer, and Compton MacKen/.ie (a novelist).

A LIBERAL PROTEST. MR SNOWDEN’S COMMENT. (Received this day at 11 a.m., LONDON, May 12. A. J. Gardiner (Liberal publicist) .in an outspoken article in the “Sunday Express ” headed “ Why Should Britain Be Skinned P ” says: “Wo have paid United States 238 millions and received from creditors in Europe 37 millions. In Mr Snowden’s phrase wo have been bilked of nearly two hundred millions. Mr Young is now proposing a further turn to- the screw. Even at tlio risk of offending America, the time lias come to say that we will not stand any more. Europe will lie in pawn to United States tor two generations, Germany will be ruined by the terrific levy. Europe will not-gain for out ol the total of German payments of eighteen hum!red millions, thirteen hundred will go to America to pay allied debts, while the eternal wrangle over the odd five hundred millions will keep Europe in discord. It is a fantastic nightmare such as no sane American can imagine. Most Americans are frankly asliamed of their country’s action, which has continued through a year of party recriminations, hut Europe cannot he tortured lor hall a century for such considerations. Mr Philip hnowdcii, writing in “Reynolds” newspaper, says: “ M.r Young’s reparations proposal in elloct repudiates the note which proposed our reparations receipts should equal our payments to America.” Me adds: “1 have not had long to wait to justify my own recent outspokenness in the Commons. The whole of the Britsili press is now sup- | porting my protest.”