IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16559, 25 May 1914, Page 7

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

THE IPSWICH BY-ELECTION. By Telegraph—Frees Association—Copyright. LONDON. May 22. Intense interest is being taken in tho Ipswich election. Tho Insurance Act looms largely in the campaign, SPEECH BY MR LLOYD GEORGE. THE QUESTION BEFORE THE COUNTRY. MAINTENANCE OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. (Received May 24, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 23. Sir Lloyd George, addressing six thousand persons at Ipswich, said the present election was critical in the country’s history, hence Iris breaking the rule against Cabinet Ministers meddling in by-elections. Ho described Mr Bonar Law and Mrs Pnnkhurst ns anarchist leaders, defying all authority, each in his or her own way. The question before the country was not Homo Rule or Disestablishment, but representative government, which the Tories were endeavouring by a deliberate conspiracy to destroy. If Mr Mastermnn were returned the verdict would resound through the ages as a great blow for freedom. The Tories were fighting for oligarchy through anarchy. The question was, were the liberties of the people to be destroyed by aristocratic lawlessness. England had the richest soil under the sun, yet with forty million pounds in rent the producers were living in poverty and wretchedness. . But the Liberals would put that- right in a year or two. Referring to old age pensions, be asked who was paying. A Voice: The supertax. Mr Lloyd George: Yes, and why should not a man with too much contribute something towards those with too little? The rich complained of the supertax, but those with £25,000 per annum would have £21,000 after their supertax had kept 137 old people from misery and humiliation. A supertax of £IOO,OOO per annum would keep six hundred persons out of the workhouse. Similarly, the death duties would maintain thirty thousand persons for four years. His Budgets were luck-sharing Budgets. National insurance was a great repairing institution and a good investment-. Ipswich was getting £21,000 in pensions, £35,000 .yearly' from insurance and from the Budget £14,000. He hoped that Ipswich would send a message of hope to Ireland and the whole democracy of Britain. “ Blessed,” lie said, “is the nation that considereth the poor.”

RESULT OF THE ELECTION. MR MASTERMAN DEFEATED. * (Received May 25, 12.1 a.m.) LONDON, May 24. The by-clection for Ipswich resulted as follows: Ganzoni, Unionist . . 6406 Masterman, Liberal . 5874 Scurr, Labour . . 395 (The present election wps rendered necessary by the death of tho Rev C. Silvester Horne. Ipswich returns two members. The figures polled at the genera) election in 1910 wore:—Sir D. F. Goddard, Liberal, 5931, C. S. Horne, Liberal, 5791, A. C. Churchman, Unionist, 5447, B. H. Burton, Unionist, 5409.)

SIX DAY WEES* BILL REJECTED BY HOUSE OF COMMONS. (Received May 24. 5 p.m.) LONDON, May 23. The House of Commons,'by 117 to 105, rejected a Bill establishing a six days’ working week, with Sunday a normal rest day.