BRITISH POLITICS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1775, 14 March 1906, Page 54

BRITISH POLITICS.

' INCREASE OF VAGRANCY. PRESENT SYSTEM INADEQUATE. THOROUGH REFORM NECESSARY. LONDON, March 6. The Departmental Committee appointed last year by Mr W. H. Long, who was President of the Local Government Board in the Balfour Ministry, to consider the question of vagrancy, has submitted its report. The committee finds that habitual vagrancy is increasing, the present system neither deterring nor reclaiming. The ‘committee states that thorough reform of the present methods is necessary, and submits a scheme for placing the vagrant more under the control of the. police. Recommendations are made for helping the bona-fide wayfarer and providing means for detaining the habitual vagrant under reformatory treatment in compulsory labour colonies. It is estimated by the committee that there are between thirty thousand and forty thousand habitual vagrants.ARMY ESTIMATES. MEMORANDUM~BY MINISTER OF AVAR. • LONDON, March 7. In thp House of Commons yesterday, Mr R. B. Haldane, Minister of War, submitted the Army Estimates. The total sum asked for is £29,796,000. In a memorandum attached to the Estimates, Mr Haldane states that he does not desire to attempt sen-ions changes in policy without full consideration. It has been decided to abandon the Home Army scheme of Mr ArnoldForster, the late Minister of War. The short rifle is adopted. The established strength of. the service is reduced by - the new Minister by 5300 men, through the of the Royal Garrison regiment and the withdrawal of* the garrison artillery from Halifax and Esquimaul-t. The Army Estimates of last year amounted to <£28;600,000, or. inclusive of loans (<£2,915,000), <£01,515,000. Assuming Mr. Haldane’s Estimates to include loans his figures compare with those of his predecessor as follows: 190545 .£31,515,000 1906-7 29,796,000 Decrease ... <£1,719,000 The Navy Estimates laid before the House of Commons last week compare with the previous year thus:— 1905-6 ... ... .£33,389,000 1908-7 31,869,000 Decrease ... <£1,520,000 Adding the Army to the Navy Estimates, the comparison works out as . under.— 1905- <£64,904,000 1906- ... ... 61,665,000 Decrease ■ ... <£3,239,000 OBSOLETE DEFENCES TO BE ABOLISHED. ENCOURAGEMENT OF VOLUNTEERS. LONDON. March 9. Mr R. B. Haldane, Minister „o£ War, made a statement in the House of Commons in explanation of the Government’s military policy. He admitted that the army was never more efficient than at present. It was impossible to make economies beyond seventeen thousand without impairing the fighting efficiency of the army. He did not intend to abolish any of the home bat- ' talions.. Believing that the navy was able to defend Britain’s shores, said the Minister, it was intended to abolish out of date London defences and useless coastal forte reduce the colonial garrisons,. and disband the native regiment at Weihaiwei. The size of the mobile striking force for oversea service must depend largely upon the requirements of India. It was impossible to reduce the striking force unless a system existed enabling rapid expansion in time of need.

Mr Haldane said he hoped to see more men voluntarily learn the elements of training, holding that volunteer and cadet corps and rifle clubs ought to he encouraged. The manhood of the country ought to he a skeleton organisation capable of being clothed in flesh in war time. The militia needed improvement. By the end of May two army corps would be armed with new field guns. Great progress had been made in arming the troops with the short rifle. Complimentary references have been made in the House and tho press to Mr Haldane’s statement.

NAVY estimates; LONDON, March 8. During a discussion in the House of Commons on the Navy Estimates, the Radicals pressed for the abandonment of the naval base at R-osytii, on the plea of expenditure.

THE COLONIES AND THE NAVY. LORD BRASSEY’S VIEWS. LONDON, March 7. In the course of a debate in the House of Lords on the policy of the Admiralty, Lord B'rassey (who was for five years Governor of Victoria) stated that the proposals of Australia and Canada fo-r the creation of naval foroes for local defence promised far-reaching results. Britain’s true policy was to encourage colonial Governments to organise in that direction. It was vain to expect contributions to the Imperial exchequer. INDUSTRIAL LEGISLATION. LIMITATION OF SHOP HOURS ASKED. LONDON, March 6. In the House of Commons, Mr Herbert Gladstone, Secretary of State, for Home Affairs, in reply to a question, said the Government was willing to participate in the international conference to consider labour and industrial questions, to be held at Switzerland. Mr Crooks asked if the Government would legislate in limiting the hours of shop assistants to the limit permitted by the Factories and Workshops Act. Mr Gladstone replied that though many assistants worked unduly long hours, to fix a maximum would be a very strong measure, and might result in considerable public inconvenience. THE CLAN-NA-GAEL. NATIONALISTS DENOUNCED. NEW YORK, March 6. At the celebrations held by the Clan na-Gael in New York, the speakers fiercely denounced the Nationalist party, which was described as corrupt and venal. Mr John Redmond was accused of betraying Ireland. THE INDIAN ARMY. LONDON, March 6. Mr John Morley, Secretary of State for India, announced in the House of Commons that Lord Kitchener and Lord Minto had telegraphed that they would do their utmost to ensure the successful working of the new army organisation in India. MEETING OF FREETRADERS. INDICATIONS OF A FINAL UNIONIST RUPTURE. LONDON, March 7. A meeting of the Unionist Freetrade Club reasserted its adherence to freetrade, and opposition to a general tariff and tax on corn. The Duke of Devonshire, the president, was in the chair. The resolution is interpreted to mean a final rupture between the freetraders on the one hand and Mr Balfour anci Mr Chamberlain on the other.^ At the annual meeting of the Associated Chambers of Commerce a motion was submitted complaining of the injurious effects of foreign tariffs on British trade. The proposition failed to obtain the support of the two-thirds majority necessary to carry it. Mr Lloyd George, President of the Board of Trade, is inquiring into the possibility of compiling statistics of the home trade in the United Kingdom and of the freight earnings of the mercantile marine. QUESTIONS OF WAGES. LONDON, March 7. Unionists assisted Labour members to considerably widen the scope of the Committee which is to inquire into questions relating to wages and tbe position of postal employees. JUDGES AND POLITICS. DISCUSSION IN THE COMMONS. LONDON, March 8. Mr William Redmond, leader of the Nationalists, speaking in the House of Commons with reference to correspondence in which Cardinal Moran of Australia and Sir Frederick Darley, Chief Justice of New South Wales, took part, asked whether, considering Sir Frederick Darley’s position, his expressions of partisan feeling wore justifiable. Mr Winston Churchill, Under-Secre-tary for the Colonies, in replying, said the statement referred to by Mr Redmond was originally made in a private letter. Lord Elgin. Secretary of State for the Colonies, did not possess sufficient information of the circumstances under which the statement was puhlis ed to form an opinion on the whoe incident. It was generally recognued aa undesirable for officers of the 'State, representing the Crown, to associate themselves "puhlicl,; with conical statements concerning party polities. CHINESE LABOUR. FRENCH SHAREHOLDERS CONCERNED. PARIS, March 8. French shareholders in South African mines are greatly concerned at thei agitation regarding Chinese labour, luoy express surprise that newspapers or British ©lectors should seriously be-

lieve tbe conditions on the Rand are anything approaching slavery. ELECTION EXPENSES. LONDON, March 8. The Government has aooepted a resolution by Mr Rowland that the expenses of returning officers and other official charges in connection with Parliamentary elections should be defrayed out of public funds. FLOGGING IN MILITARY PRISONS. LONDON, March 8. Mr R. B. Haldane, Minister of* War, has decided to totally abolish corporal punishment in military prisons. PAYMENT OF MEMBERS. PRINCIPLE AFFIRMED BY LARGE MAJORITY LONDON, March 8. A resolution, moved in the House of Commons by Mr Levers in favour of payment of members was adopted by 348 votes to 110. Sir Henry Kimber moved an amendment affirming the undesirability of the House voting money to its own members. This was negatived bv 363 to 110. Sir H. C. Bannerman said he cordially agreed with the principle of payment, but there was no money at present to give effect to this desirable improvement. The Liberals, Nationalists, and Labour mombere supported Mr Lever’s motion in favour of payment of members. The Unionist members opposed it. LONDON, March 9. “ Tho Times ” condemns Sir FI. C. Bannerman’s “jaunty, academic acquiescence” in the principle of payment to members, while declaring there is neither time nor money to give it practical effect. DEATH-RATE ON THE RAND. LONDON. March 9. Mr Winston Churchill, Under-Secre-tary for the Colonies, stated in the House of Commons that the deathrate amongst the Chinese coolies on the Rand "was 18,386 per thousand, and among African labourers 47.13. LONDON. March 6. Mr Kin nail'd Smith, Liberal M.P., in a letter to the press, protests against the injustice of the cry of “•Chinese slavery.” A Royal Commission lias been appointed to inquire into the canals and waterways, of the Lnitcd Kingdom. Lord Shuttle worth has been elected chairman. The Government proposes to establish a Welsh National Council of Education.