BEFORE THE FIGHT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7028, 17 January 1910, Page 5

BEFORE THE FIGHT.

SPEECHES AND OPINIONS AT HOME AND ABROAD.

(Received January 16, 5 p.m.) LONDON, January 15.

Speaking at Hastings on Friday, Dr T. J. Macnamara, Parliamentary Secrotary to tho Admiralty,'said that by April, 1912, Britain would possess 20 Dreadnoughts 40 battleships of tho pre-Dread-nought type, and 35 armoured cruisers.

Germany, on the other hand, would only have : 13 Dreadnoughts 20 pre-Droadnoughte, and 8 armoured cruisers

By the date mentioned, also', Britain would have in readiness sixteen doclu capable of accommodating Dreadnoughts, against Germany's nine. UNIONIST MANIFESTOES (Received January 16, 5 p.m.) LONDON, January'ls. - Messrs Joseph Chamberlain and A. J. Balfour, leader of the Opposition, in a joint manifesto addressed to the electors who ■ are called upon to vote in to-day's elections, state: ■■ " Tariff Reform will not increase the cost of living to'the working classes, nor the proportion of taxes paid by them; but it will, enable us to, reduce the present' taxes on articles of working class j consumption. . , "1% will "mean lesser unemploy-, mont, and, the development of trade with the British Dominions beyond the Seas'." Mr Chamberlain has also issued a separate appeal to the electors, consisting largely of extracts rroJn his Tariff'.Reform, campaign speeches. • Mr Chamberlain declares:. " We are on the eve of the most critical election, of modern times. Other nations are proceeding more rapidly than we in their progress and prosperity. "What is called Free Trade is not fair competition. It is. desjrablo to arrange taxation so that it will stimulate trade instead of hindering it. "'■ "The same policy which will' unite the Empire is the one that is most" likely to conduce to Britain's internal prosperity, draw closer the sister .States, and by commercial union' pave the way for a . federation of free nations which will prolong'the glorious traditions of the British race." Mr Alfred Lyttelton, speaking at Cambridge, said thai' in 1906 there were 208 private : Bills passed, authorising the construction of : works involving an expenditure ;of between £60,000,000 and' £70,000,000.. Last year 112 similar Bills were passed, tihe amount involved being £12,000,000. The decrease was attributable to confidence in Britain being shaken in consequence of the Liberal policy. There was no more striking evidence'than this of the loss the working classes had suffered. ; Lord Lahsdowne, in reply to.a.oorrespondent, emphasises the statement that old age pensioners are quite safe, and adds: " Even the Liberal! Government has never contended ''that;:,.: it should be beyond the power of > any future Government to modify t the conditions on which" 1 ; pensions;;»]are granted." , : ■■':, ■■■■: Mr Jesse Collings, who is still unable to stand owing to the recent ac-. cident by which he'injured a leg, unexpectedly drove to Bordesley, Birmingham, and addressed the electors on Tariff Reform from his oarriage. Mr Collings was accorded an enthusiastic reception. ... Two thousand unemployed were engaged as sandwich men in a Manchester Conservative demonstration against Free Trade yesterday. They formed a procession' two miles in- length. Newspaper and other comments refer to the absence of a, detailed explanation of tho method the Government proposes to adopt for the abolition of the Lords' veto, beyond the statement by some speakers that the Lords must pass the Commons' measures within the lifetime of any Parliament. It is argued that no indication has been given as to how it is suggested this, shall bo accomplished by legislative action.

Cablegrams received in London show that there is intense interest in South Africa and Canada, and especially in Germany, in the election rer suits. There is more concern outside England respecting the Navy Tariff Reform and Socialistic Liberalism than in tho question of the Lords. At Berlin Here Maximilian Harden, the well-known writer in " Die Zukunft," tells Germans that Mr Balfour is no agitator. He simply warns his countryman not to depend on the goodwill or the bad temper of any other Power, and that they must pay higher rates of insurance for their safety." Herr Harden adds: " Every Ghancellerie holds an Anglo-German war as j probable., There are peoplo in Ger- j many who declare that.. a Customs tariff closing the British Empire toj German goods will havo to ho pierced hy the German sword." The "Berliner Tageblatt" strongly appeals for fiscal peace between Canada and Germany, and urges the abandonment of a useless insistence respecting Britain's preference. Germany should offer Canada a.commercial treaty in exchange for an extension of the tariff now applying to French Roods to

Germany. German capital would thus be enabled to find a sphere of operations in Canada liko that in South America.

Reconciliations between divisions of the party avoided splits in the. Conservative camps ait Canterbury, Lincoln, Rossendale, and East Marylebone.