"THE SLAMMED DOOR."

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7023, 11 January 1910, Page 5

"THE SLAMMED DOOR."

BRITAIN'S LOST CHANCE PEEP INTO THE FUTURE BY MR A. CHAMBERLAIN. COLONIES AND PREFERENCE. < ' By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received January 10, 9.38 p.m.) LONDON, January 10. Mr Austen Chamberlain, ex-Clian-cellor of tho Exchequer, addressing a meeting in East Birmingham (held by Sir J. Benjamin Stone, Conservative), said the self-governing Dominions were not discouraged by tho Liberals' derision of their offers of preference. " Britain alone hangs back," he declared. " She cannot postpone her decision indefinitely. If we allow our leaders to discourage commercial union by describing it as a ' squalid bond'— If we allow ill-mannored under-secre-tarics to slam the door in the faces of the representatives of our kinsmen overseas—the time will come when we shall bo knocking at shut doors. FOREIGN COMMERCIAL TREATIES. / "Tho Dominions will ' not come as suppliants if Britain refuses proffered advantages. Other suitors are ready to woo -them. Italy, Belgium, and Germany are seeking closer relations similar to those Canada has granted to FTance. 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, and may end in weaving closer the colonies' daily commercial interests with foreign countries than with the Motherland." REMEDY FOR POVERTY. Mr Chamberlain quoted from Mr Lloyd George's speech at the Colonial Conference, in which he had stated that the excuse for refusing colonial offers was the poverty of a largo proportion of tho British people. To this he (Mr Chamberlain) would now reply: "Our colonial kinsmen ask for no sacrifice, but for new markets for •British products. More work and fairer terms for British" labour are the surest remedies for poverty and unemployment." "ABSOLUTELY SAFE." MR LLOYD GEORGE AND NAVAL EXPENDITURE. (Reoeivod January 10, 10.40 p.m.) LONDON, January 10. On Saturday Mr Lloyd Georgo, Chancellor of', the Exchequer, addressed a gathering of 11,000 persons at Plymouth. " It might be imagined,'' he said, " from the talk of the last few days that the Government had mado no provision for increasing the security of our shores. It has really added nearly £3,000,000 to the expenditure on tho Navy, and it will add as many more millions next year." Mr Lloyd George predicted that tiho Estimates would not be far short of £40,000,000. He was not one of those who thought British sailors incompetent to meet any sailors in the world. At any rate, tho Government was going to put it beyond question that Britain was absolutely safe. ELECTIONS NEXT SATUKDAY MR JOHN BURNS EXPLAINS HIS PROGRAMME. LONDON, January 9. Sixty-seven borough elections will bo held next Saturday. Mr John Burns, President of the Local Government Board, includes in his programme payment of members and their election expenses, adult suffrage for men and women, shorter .Parliaments, and an eight-hour day. WHAT GERMANS SAY FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND COLONIAL PREFERENCE. LONDON, January 9. The Berlin correspondent of the " Daily Mail" reports that German newspapers of all shades of opinion are unanimously assailing the Conservatives, and heaping vituperation upon Mr Balfour for his references to Germany in his Hanley speech. The Berlin newspaper "Freisinnigo Zoitung," discussing the English, elections and tariff prospects, declares that foreign countries have a powerful word to say in the matter. What would Argentina say, asks the paper, if Britain imposed, a duty on wool, tallow, wheat, and frozen meat, while importing the same goods duty free from Canada and Australia? W,ould other countries remain silent if a duty free market were opened to the colonies in London? LAST COUNCIL MEETING PEERS* WORK IN A STR.ENXTOUS CAMPAIGN. CHANCELLOR MEETS ANGRY MOB. (Received January 11, 0.30 a.m.) LONDON,' January 10. In consequence of to-day's dissolution meeting of the Privy Council, tho .Peers have completed their part in the election campaign. Leading members of the House of Lords have ad-

dressed 250 anti-Budget meetings since December Ist.

Cornish granito workers compelled tho abandonment of a torchlight procession organised at Falmouth in connection with a visit by Mr Lloyd George. They were incensed because orders for granite for the Rosythe naval base had been given to foreigners, and there was an angry demonstration at tho railway station. Police escorted Mr Lloyd George.to a waiting motor-car. A few days ago it was stated that the Unionists had secured a candidate for every seat except Kirkcaldy Burghs. There were sixteen ■ seats for which tho Liberals had no candidate, while the Labour party was ready to contest seyenty-sdx seats, and triangular fights wero threatened in fiftyfour clectoratea There are 670 members in the House of Commons, all told. Of these 103 represent Irish constituencies, and are omitt«d f rom the foregoing list. The English. Scottish, and Welsh representation is as follows: Members. England ,•• "61 Scotland 72 Wales 34 Total . 567 The party candidates, for tho respective constitusneics. according to the above figures are as follow: I Members. . Unionists 666 Liberals .'■- "• 051 • Labour . 76 Tho approxirato state of parties in the House of Commons at the time of dissolution was: : Members. Liberals 367 Unionists ... , 166 Nationalists *" Labour Total ~. - 670