ELECTION INEVITABLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18225, 19 October 1922, Page 7

ELECTION INEVITABLE.

: FATE OF COALITION. CONSERVATIVES TO DECIDE. effect 'of secession. PREMIER TO RESIGN. By Telegraph— Press Association—Copyright. (Heciivcd 12.30 a.m.) Serrio*. LONDON. Oct. 1". The Dailv Mail states that Mr. Lloyd George, addrws : nsc Coalition Liberal members of the Government, gave important information about future [Political developments. He stated that the issue still depends entirely on the result of the meeting of Unionists on Thursday, hut it js now narrowed down to two alternative. Tf the mooting supports Mr. ChiimberWs olea for continuarire oif the Coalition, there will he an immediate; dissolution. If it rpjects his advice, Mr. Chamberlain, with other pro-Coailition Conservative leaders, will resign from the Conservative Party. Hie Prime Minister and Government will then rt>«icn, and it will then he open to independent Conservatives to form a new Governmentif they wish. The inevitable result in either case wi 1 ! ho an immediate election, since no Conservative Ministry could carry on in face of the onpos : t : on created by defections. Mr. Lloyd Oeorse added that he was convinced that he could command a larffe majority at the elections. He intended to appeal to electors for continued co-opera-tion of Conservatives and Liberals on the pre an ds that stability is still needed in the i conduct of tho Government. Lord Lone, a former member of the Coalition Ministry, speaking at Haritmer- i smith, said :—" Personally, I firmly be- j lieve in the Coalition, but I cannot dis- j guise from myself that there is a deep- j seated feeling among tho workers of tho Conservative Party that tnere ought to be a Conservative Prime Minister. This conviction arises from no feeling against Mr. Lloyd George. It does not come from above, but from the rank and file c: the party. We must not. smaah up the Conservative Party in a hurry. MINISTER RESIGNS. UNIONIST UNDER-SECRETARY \nstrJiiiM. snd C&bl® Afl9i)ciJttioD« (Rtc<L 12.5 a.m.) LONDON. Oct. 17. sir R. A. Sanders, Unionist meml>er for Bridgwater, has resigned the position of Under-Secretary tor War. He was officially requested to defer his resignation pending tile Unionist meeting on Thursday- • LABOUE'S PROGRAMME. A LEVY ON CAPITAL. Australian and N-Z. C-abl# Association. (Eicd. 115 swm.) LONDON. Oct. 17. Mr. Arthur Henderson, speaking at Newport on the general flection outlook, said that the Coalition's disiupiion was inevitable. To lighten the burden of the national debt the Labour Party would create a war debt, redemption fund by a levy on accumulated wealth, beginning at j fortunes of £5000. CONSERVATIVES' CHOICE. CONFERENCE TO-OAY. aßd N-Z. IX3NDON. Oct, 17. The newspapers are fall of speculations regarding the political situation. Despite Mr- Lloyd George's indefinite announcement at Manchester, erente moved rapidly during the week-end toward » quick ending of suspense, Mr. Churchill gave a -dinner party on Sunday, which was attended by Mr. Lloyd George, the Liberal member* oi the Cabinet, and Mr. Austen Chamberlain, Lord Balfour, and Lord Birkenhead, who are definitely in favour of the continuation of the Coalition. It is reported that at the dinner attempts were made to induce Mr. Chamberlain to agree to cosh the election, an a Coalition without any preliminary Unionist Party meeting. It is understood that Mr. Chamhsdain declined, hence the summoning of Unionist members of the House of Commens to the Carlton Club gathering od Thursday, which political iPritera agree ■sill be the deciding factor- At the meeting Mr. Chamberlain is expected to recommend that the Conservative and Liberal wings shall go to the country as separate entities, but hold themselves ready to co-operate in Parliament after (he election. The " Diebards," however, "■wilL press the meeting to decide that the Conservatives should ncr longer uphold tho Coalition. A decision will be reached in the shape of a vote oi confidence in Ms. Chamberlain, which the latter's friends believe will be carried. Law Agitast Coalition. At preliminary meetinzs of Unionist members and under-secretaries to-day, a large majority supported Mr. Chamberlain. On the other hand, the " Diehards " cairn that they have the support of many back benchers. If the Carlton Club meeting votes against continuance of the Coalition, Mr. Chamberlain and racist of his colleagues will resign from tho Government. A {>owerful factor in the background is believed to be Mi. Bonar Law' 3 opposition to the continuance of the coalition with Mr. Lloyd Goorgo. I!: the Unionist Party renounces continuation of the Coalition, Mr. Lloyd George is expected to hand oyer control to a .purely Conservative Ministry, which will immediately face the electors. The leaders of all parties have made many speaking engagements for tho next fortnight. Mr. W. A. S. Hewins, ex-Uncler-Secre- i tary for the Colonies, has given notice to move at the National Unionist Confer- , ence in November that the Coalition ceasei find tho Conservative leaders appeal to , tho country for a majority to enable the new Government to carry out the follow, ing policy:—First, maintenance of Entente with France; second, adoption of a trade policy conforming with the resolutions of the Imperial Conference of 1917 and 1918, with a view to restoring trade and reducing unemployment. Labour to Contest 420 Seats. Labour is planning to contest 420 seats. It cannot afford to waste money on hopeless Conservative strongholds. A party official to-night said that Labour is expected to win 150 to 160 seats and to be strong enough to make it difficult for any Government to play fast and loose with problems. The party did not intend to declare its policy prior to the announcement of the dissolution, owing to tho fear of having their thunder stolen. The approaching general election campaign wiil be the shortest political struggle ever held in Great Britain, and will return tho smallest House of Goza-

mons for over a century. Tho Representation of the People Act of 1918* increased the membership of tk* House of Commons to 707, but the establishment of the Irish Free State reduces Ireland's representation at Westminster -to 13 members, representing Ulster exclusively, and this reduces the House of Commons to 615. Under the Franchise Act of 1918 all polls must be taken on the same day, and on the following day practically the whole constitution of the new House of ijommcDs will be known. The whole cami paign between dissolution and the declarai tion of tl e polls will last three weeks. It | is considered that stable government will be impossible unless some party or group or parties commands at least 325 votes. Estimates in alii parties expect Labour to be the second largest group. Mr. Lloyd George is to speak at Leeds, not Newcastle, on Saturday. LEADER. OF THE DIEIIARDS. GOVERNMENT ARRAIGNED. A. and N.Z. LONDON. Oct. IT. The Martinis of Salisbury, Leader of the " Diehards," addressed Conservative members of both Houses. The. Marquis Curzon was present. Lord Salisbury said that ho could not agree with Mr. Chamberlain's views expressed at Birmingham. The Government's extravagance, its abandonment of authority in India, Egypt, and the deplorable conditions in Ireland were notorious, and Conserva.tives could no longer "bo responsible for such political events. A crisis such as we had just passed through was a discredit to our foreign policy. The Conservatives, as a party, were entiled to reconsider their postion. They wanted a united ConeervativeUnionist Party. Tho Marquis of Salisbury was recently elected Leader of the Conservative, and Unionist Opposition to the Coalition. Few of the regular occupants of the Front Benches in the Honse of Lords have had so long an experience of political and official life in both Houses as Lord Salisbury, who is in his 62nd year. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1885 as Viscount Cranborne, and was UnderSecretary for Foreien Affairs from 1500 to 1903." In the latter y«;ar. on succeeding to the Marquisatc, he was translated to the Hr>use of Lords and became Lord Privy Seal in Mr. Balfour's Ministry, and subsequently President of the Board of: Trade. Throughout his political career Lord Salisbury has been an uncompromising Conservative, and he was amontr tho | " Die Hard's'* who voted against the j Liberal Government in IQ II. in the criti- j eal division when the Veto Bill was car- j ried by 17 votes.