PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2915, 26 January 1910, Page 85

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

BRITISH POLITICS. Perhaps I should s'ay, Empire Politics, for the thought in my mind a-a I write .is, How much thought at Home is being devoted to consolidation of the Empire '! I have had several Home papers and more references to the elections that were looming up when they were written, but not once have I seen any reference to a wider outlook, extending beyond the shares of the British Islands. The facts that German, trade and population and naval expenditure" have been, and still are,-in-creasing in a greater, ratio than those of tiie British Islands seem to be ignored both by statesmen and voters. Both, it •appears to rne, want educating. And on this educating question, let me quote from "A Parliament of the Press: The First Imperial Press Conference, 1909." The address of welcome was given by the Earl of Rosebery, who, among other 7' things—l. shall quote exactly—stated >-»" .The- other night I ventured to dream, a dream-—which is a very favourite practice of retired politicians.—(Laughter.)- And' thinking of that vast armada [He had just been referring to' the r-Tavy.—-Pater.], the surplus of which is so constantly scrapped at what seems so wholly inadequate prices to the taxpayer—(Laughter.)—l could not help imagining how admirably some of these large ships might be used, not for the purposes of war, but for the purposes of peace. I thought to myself that, if I were the lay-disposer of events in this country, I should like Parliament to vote supplies for two wars and then pack itself up in three or four of these obsolete warships and go for a trip in order to find out something about the Empire.—(Prolonged applause.) You may object at once to my scheme, and say : ' But how would the country be governed while all the Ministers were absent?'—(Laughter.) I reply with confidence that the people would be governed much as they are now—(Laughter)—by the heads of the permanent departments. (Laughter.) And I am not sure that some of us would not feel an even greater confidence in the welfare of the country if it.were under that permanent ,and w.ell-ordered .control.-v-i Laughter arid . cheers.) . Well, but should I include- the House of Lords in this expedition ?—(Laughter.) 1 think the House of Lords might accompany th©m on condition : o| paying their own For that, I ijaight explain to Colonial visitors is th,e great distinction between the House of Lords

and the House of Commons—the House of Commons votes the . taxes and the House of Lords pays them.—-(Loud laughter and cheers.) Therefore, I think my proposal would place them, on an equitable basis.—(Renewed laughter.) Whatever their present relations may be, I should not be. afraid of putting them in the same vessels, because I am confident that the wholesome discipline of the ocean would soon shake them down to a condition of parity, if not of amity.":— < (Laughter.) The Earl has travelled the Empire himself and under the semi-humorous semi-serious style of the finished orator, he says what should really take place, because no man can be a truly Empire statesman who has not seen the various phases of life throughout the Britain Beyond the Seas. What the Earl suggests has been done recently by Will Crookes and J. R. Macdbnald; and a would-be member, Foster Fraser, has done the same; only one of these, however,- has obtained a seat. "THE LITTLE RED BOOK." This is another name for* the Daily Mail Year Book, published at sixpence net (about a shilling posted) in paper, and a shilling net (about eighteen pence posted). I take it regularly, and also Hazell's Annual, coating, I think, four shillings, or about sixpence more for postage; occasionally I get WMtaker's Almanac also—the cloth edition at three shillings—not the incomplete paper edition published at a shilling. Hazell's isn't out yet, but the other two have come to hand. They all give very interesting reading to the student of the world's affairs, and at the present moment the article in the Dai'y Mail. Year Book came in very handy. After giving four pages of diagrams dealing with land, wealthy and rent, the book opens with "The Social Outlook: How the New Spirit is Working on the Social Eri-vh-onment, and the, Problems it Provokes." Then follows a section of the book set apart-for;-.the discussion of what, are called " Six Main 'lssues." They are the Budget, House of Lords, Tariff Reform, Free Trade, Land' : Reform, Socialism. These are' taken in i*]3Vder and discussed. We have an E, Smith, K.C., M.P., "The Oasei'.Against the Budget: A Studj of the Newr'Einance"; and "The Case for the Budget": I 'The New Taxes at a Glance," by L. G. Chiozza Money, an M.P. when he wrote-', the article, but now out in the cold ; and,. " For and Against the Budget," a outstanding "statements by 'the leaders—Lord. ■ Rosebery,' Mr Asquith/ Mr Balfour, Mr Lloyd-George, Mr Chamberlain, Mr Churchill, and Mr. Tire: An article "A B Cof the,-Budget: the New Taxes Explained," is divided up under six headings;—Land Values, Liquor Licenses, Death --Duties, Income Tax, Stamp Duties, Customs and Exiise. These again are split up into sections, the first into Duty on'lncrement Value, Reversion Duty, Duty!pn ; Undeveloped Land, Duty on Minerals-, *, Most of these are accompanied by stables of figures setting out clearly the change's made by' what is called the "New Finance." "The Lords and the Commons: Their Rights with' Regard to' Finance," ics another chapter; and we have "The Case for Tariff Reform : How it Affects the Producer —the Worker" ; "The , ijDase ,for Free nTrade: Why Protection ,is:. Opposed" ; and "The Case for Preference' in Canada, Australia, •New Zealand, and South Africa." These headings cover but a small portion of the book, and I give them so that country readers may order the book if they wish. to. Many Witness readers are under a serious disadvantage through not being, near la.l'ge centres of population and their environment, and these drawbacks "suggest to me that in the future I 'should/ perhaps give more help to comitry;, readers who wish to keep pace w'ith'fjUie.',times, but are not put in the way of -doing so.