BRITISH POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14225, 23 November 1909, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

LABOUR AND LIBERALISM.

THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

* A SUGGESTED COMPACT. . By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. 'Keceived November 22, 10.20 p.m.) London, November 22. • Mr. Arthur Henderson (chairman of the Labour party in the House of Commons), speaking at Bishop Auckland (Durham), said that one thing they desired was to avoid a conflict between the Liberal and Labour parties at the general -elections, but it was another thing to know how to do it. '■: ■'■■'• ■'.": ■'■:

Three-cornered contests were the outcome of democratic power, and were inevitable, especially at the transition period. The Labour party had 2,000,000 members paying into the Parliamentary fund for securing direct representation. He did not anticipate a fight upon the present issue. The national executive must decide upon the letter of Mr. Pease (Chief Liberal Whip), but he did not think it offered any basis for agreement, since it required Labour to rest content with its present strength during the next Parliament.

Mr. Henderson approved of a suggestion that the Government should carry a Bill before dissolution providing for the second ballot and that all elections be held on the same day.

! Mr. Pease, in the couree of.his letter, referred to in the above cable, stated that in tlio expected general election Liberals would as far as possible respect seats held by Labour members, and he urged the' Labour Representation ; Committee to respect Liberal seats. He added that if an aggressive attitude was persisted in by the Labour party, the latter was more likely to be the loser. In several of the by-elections Labour candidates have been run against Liberals, causing Mr. Pease on one occasion to threaten retaliation.

"TWIN THUNDER PUMPERS."

ISSUE AT THE ELECTIONS.

(Received November 22, 11.55 p.m.)

London, November 22.

Sir Gilbert Parker (Conservative member for Gravesend), speaking at Yeadon, Yorkshire, described Mr. Lloyd-George and Mr. Winston Churchill as the " twin thunder pumpers."

The people, he said, would not make the question of the, Lords the crucial issue at the elections. The straight issue would be tariff reform a.gainst socialism.

FORM OF THE BUDGET.

DEFENDED BY A PEER.

London, November 21

Arguing that the Budget taxes are purely financial, and the method of valuation strictly subservient to and necessary for their collection, Lord Courtney, of Pen with (who was professor of political economy at the London University in 1872-73, and who has since held office in several Liberal Administrations), in a letter to the Times, rebuts the charge.of "tacking," or adding to the Budget alien clauses,' for the purpose of securing their acceptance by the Lords. >