IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 13948, 3 January 1906, Page 7

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PROPOSALS. United Press Association —By Elec trio Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, January 1. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman said that if the finances would permit E© imped, at an eaVly date, to repeal the coal tax. The Social Democratic Federation of Britain advocates the maintenance of children out of the national, funds during the whole of. their school life, the co-operative organisation of the unemployed on the land, in factories, in and in afforestation, with pensions to the aged and those incapacitated for work, instead of the workhouse. The Federation supports Home Rule. MR LLOYD GEORGE ON INDUSTRIAL ARBITRATION. LONDON, January 1. Mr Lloyd George, speaking at Pwllheli, in Carnarvonshire, stated that considerable success was attending compulsory arbitration in New Zealand and Australia, but Conciliation Boards were the only present solution of the English labour troubles. Personally, he would lib© to see the experiment tried in all industries. THE HOME RULE QUESTION. LONDON, Jamiary 1. Mr George ex-Secrelaxy for Ireland, speaking at Dover, claimed that he had always denounced more violently half-way houses than a full measure of Home Rule. It was better that the Union should go down immediately Than that it should suffer a lingering death. He would fight, as heretofore, against any tampering with the Union. Sir Edward Grey, Foreign Secretary, speaking at Embleton, said that the Liberals’ proper course was to take up, with Sir Antony M’DonnelTs help, a sympathetic policy of administration of Irish affairs, where the Conservatives left off, for want of courage, when Mr Wyndham was ousted. • THE FISCAL QUESTION. MR LYTTELTON’S ELECTION ADDRESS. Mr Lyttelton in an election.' address says that the need, for fiscal reform is growing. It will become more and more plain that the great self-govern-ing colonies are strongly in favour of preference to and from the Motherland. Prudence and business foresight," equally with patriotism, demand that every effort should be made to meet their desire. Ho adds: “ I strongly advocate investigation of the subject in conference with the colonies, and that the investigators should approach their task with a sincere resolve to advance free trad© ’ within the Empire. I am entirely in agreement with Mr Balfour as to the wisdom of taking power to impose retaliatory duties. I incline to believe that a good starting point would be a low uniform duty for revenue purposes on imported manufactures.” After condemning Horn© Rule by a side wind, ho declares that as the late Government was pledged to abide the decision of an' elected and really representative legislature of the Transvaal, such .as is now being formed, a temporary halt in the recruitment of Chinese seems unimportant. With this exception Lord Elgin’s decision was in general harmony with the lato Government’s policy. ELECTION ADDRESSES. MR CHAMBERLAIN AND MR BUXTON. LONDON, January 2. Mr Chamberlain, in an election address, charges the Government with seeking tortuously to compass the disruption of the Kingdom, by dangerous parsimony with regard to national defence. Ho adds that a commercial arrangement with the colonies will be the first item on the Unionists future constructive programme, and retaliation the second. The first would increase the price of bread in the slightest, but would open - an immense new market, and cement Imperial relations. The aim of the second was to secure employment at fair' wages, and the defence, of trad© against unfair competition. It would not raise prices. It was defensive, not protective, nor inconsistent with the true spirit of freetrade. Mr Sidney Buxton, in an election address, says' that the Irish question still demands attention and solution. The War Office must be reformed. He mentions other points in Sir Henry Camp-bell-Bannerman’s Albert Hall speech. These were some of the questions wherewith he feels sure the Government will deal, if given the opportunity. The order and method of handling would depend upon the result of the election, and the: matured consideration of the Liberal and Progressive Party as a whole. SPEECH BY MR BALFOUR. THE CHINESE LABOUR QUESTION. FISCAL REFORM. (Received January 2, 11.10 p.m.) LONDON, January 2. Sir Balfour, addressing two thousand persons at Leamington, in support of Mr Lyttelton, was frequently interrupted by a number of electors sensitive as regards Chinese labour. He dealt chiefly with this question. Ho described as foolish and atrocious falsehoods the statements that the labour ordinances excluded the; British worker from , a profitable field of employment, and

that Chinese labour in the Transvaal was equivalent to slavery. He characterised the propaganda on this subject, as political hypocrisy. Bye-eleo-tio'/s were won on the cry of slavery; yet the Government now. in office had no intention to prevent the colonies carrying on what it called slavery. Incidental mention mad© of Mr Cham'berlain’s admirable speech on Saturday, specially with reference to the importance of colonial markets, wa* warmly cheered. Mr Balfour added: <f Ido not belong to a party hearing the colonies express a desire for closer union with the Motherland, yet closing ite ears, muttering a shibboleth about what, it » erroneously describes as freetrade. ■ Aa regards British industries, I am in favour of anything which will secure us greater freedom of trad© with the colonies, and everything giving us tha greatest power to diminish the maleficient influence of those growing tariffs which are threatening to throttle British trade in large tracks of the civilised' world.” - THE INDEPENDENT LABOUR PARTY. ; (Received January 2, 11.6 p.m.) LONDON, January 2. Mr Michael Davitt will stump Eng* land in support of the Independent Labour candidates. There are fifty «| these. It is understood that Mr Hardie hopes that half will be returned, in which, case, unless given a commanding majority, the Liberals must. reckon with an Irish-Labour coalition.