THE BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 9115, Issue 9115, 11 January 1910, Page 3

THE BRITISH ELECTIONS.

THE PEERS' CAMPAIGN. (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Per Press Association.) LONDON, Jan. 10. In consequence of the Privy Co s unci meeting, in connection with the dissolu tion of Parliament, the Peers have com plcted their campaign. They have addressed 250 anti-Budgei meetings since December. LLOYD-GEORGE AT PLYMOUTH. LONDON, Jan. 10. Mr Lloyd-George addressed a gather ing of 11,000 people at Plymouth. H< said that it might be imagined from the talk of the last few days that the Gov eminent had made no provision for in creasing the security of our shores. II had really added nearly three millior. to the Navy Estimates and would add many more millions next year. He predicted that next year's estimates wouid not be far short of forty millions. He was not one who thought the British sailors incompetent to meet any sailors in the world. At any rate the Government was going to put it beyond question that Great Britain was absolutely safe. SPEECH BY AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN. LONDON, Jan. 10. Mr Austen Chamberlain, speaking at Birmingham, said "the self-governing Dominions arc not discouraged by the Liberals' derision of their offers of preference. Britain alone hangs back, but she cannot postpone the decision indefinitely. If we allow the leaders to discourage commercial union by describing it as a squalid bond, if wo allow illmannered Under-Secretaries to slam the door in the face of the representatives of our kinsmen .overseas, the time will conic when we will be knocking at a shut door. The Dominions will not come as supplants if Britain refuses their proffetrd advantages. Other suitors are ready to woo. Germany. Italy and Belgium are seeking closer relations, which Canada has granted to France. If we remain blind to their material interests we will force our kinsmen to make commercial treaties with foreign countries. One by one these treaties will limit the scope of any possible preference which may end in weaving closer their daily commercial interests with foreign countries than with the Motherland." Quoting Mr Lloyd-George's speech at the Colonial Conference, wherein he stated that an excuse for refusing the colonial offers was the poverty of the large proportion of the British people. Mr Chamberlain replied that their colonial kinsmen ask no sacrifice. New markets for British products mean more work and fairer terms for British labour, which were the surest remedies for poverty and unemployment.