PARTY “WAR-CHESTS” ALMOST BARE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21538, 9 January 1932, Page 5

PARTY “WAR-CHESTS” ALMOST BARE

BRITISH VOTERS TIGHTEN THEIR PURSE-STRINGS. While the country is deeply perturbed about unemployment) India, arid the Empire, the politicians behind.the scenes are much more' gravely concerned'' about an unprecedented development in politics—the financial bankruptcy of the three great parties (says the Sunday Express). Every one of them is faced with an empty money chest -and a more or less complete failure to raise new funds. The main cause of this penury is the same in each case—the growing reluctance of the electorate to go on paying their money to the, old parties. ; Each party has its, own.special difficulties. The Socialists, are embarrassed by the loss of incoirie due to the change over, under "the 1927- Trades Union Act, from “ contracting-out ■” to “ contracting-in/’-, in respect of the trade unions’ political-levy. Something like £20,000 a year—nearly 50 per cent, of its income from this source—has been lost to the party by the change, and the attempt to meet the deficit by special voluntary efforts has met with only a meagre response. At the same time the subscriptions from the non-trade union membership have, this year shown a distinct falling off, due' either to apathy or to active dislike of the proceedings of the Government. Special donations from, the political funds of the big trade unions, moreover, are now largely problematical; for example, the Miners’ Federation, which made a contribution of £IO,OOO in 1929, has since given an unpleasantly plain hint at doubts as to whether it has had its money’s worth.

Liberalism is in an equally- uncomfortable pecuniary position. Mr Lloyd George, the “ squire ” of the -party, financed it at the 1929 election to the tune of £300.000, on top of many thousands expended in repairing the party organisation. It is an open secret that .this .effort greatly depicted the famous “Personal Fund ” and Mother Hubbard's cupboard is now empty. Parsimony is the. order of the day wherever the Liberals intervene at a by-election. Constituency associations —where they exist in any but a moribund condition — can neither raise funds nor “ touch ” headquarters for them. As for the Conservative Party/its war chest has beep depleted by three causes. In common with the Liberal Party, it spent more freely at the last general election than ever before.

The outlay on literature, kinema propaganda, and poster campaigns was so abnormally heavy that it could have been justified only by a triumph which gave the party the time and the popularity necessary to replenish its funds. Failure brought into action all the forces of discontent and gave an opportunity for the formation of new parties, and also of new associations, which, like the National Council of Industry, appeal to Conservatives-and others who are disillusioned with politics.