BRITISH POLITICS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 June 1931, Page 6

BRITISH POLITICS

LI&ERAL-LABOUR COMPROMISE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June IC. The anticipated political crisis, which was due to arrive to-night, when the Commons’ vote is taken on the Liberal land tax amendments to a clause in the Finance Bill, came to an unexpected end this afternoon. When the House, having gone into committee, reached Clause 20, a Liberal member rose to move the much discussed amendment. The Deputy-Chairman (Mr Dunnico), ruled it out of order, and said it should have been put forward on an earlier clause, which had already been dealt with. This development came as a complete surprise to all members, who after some discussion, passed on to other business, the Liberals intimating that they would introduce the amendment later as a new clause, procedure which the Chairman intimated he would consider in order, although there was a' possibility that the Parliamentary gullotine would fall before it was ever reached. A settlement of the point at issue was reached shortly before the House met, in a further conference between the Liberal leaders and members of the Government. The Prime Minister a little later informed members of the Parliamentary Labour Party that the Liberals had re-drafted their amendment, in a form, which subject to reconsiderations of certain details, the Government could accept. ELECTORAL REFORM. In. the House of Lords, to-day, the Representation of the People Bill pa.ss--1 eel the second reading by 50 votes to 14. The measure, provides for the method of the alternative vote at JParJiamentary elections, when there are more than two candidates.

Lord Passfield, moving the second reading, expressed a belief that the measure, if canned, would lead to ,no more than a microscopical change in the balance of party representation, and he could not guess which party if any, it would favour. There had been 469 three-cornered contests out of roughly . 600, at the last general election and. in over 300 cases the member was returned by-a minority vote. The alternative vote, he contended, wopld la todierraf wjs 33 chnid ffj would lead to fairer representation of the constituents. LONDON, June 17. ■ The “Daily Express’s” lobby correspondent regards the land tax scheme as smashed. * He -says: “Instead of getting six millions in revenue from the tax, it is doubtful whether it will now yield 'half a million. It is learned, however,' that Mr Snowden, after a conference witlf* the Treasury officials, is satisfied that he could take a chance by the acceptance of the modified Liberal viewpoint:. Meantime, Mr Lloyd George professes himself satisfied, though nothing yet has been shown on paper.