THE NEW CABINET

Southland Times, Issue 19157, 29 January 1924, Page 7

THE NEW CABINET

GETTING INTO HARNESS VARIOUS INVESTIGATIONS UNDER WAY VARIETY OF SUBJECTS DEALT WITH. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association). LONDON. January 28. (Received January 28, 11 p.m.) The political editor of Collier’s Weekly, ?rior to embarking for New York, said that Mr Ramsay MacDonald, in the course of an interview, stated that he neither hoped nor intended to try to introduce the Capital Levy as the time was inopportune. THE OPPOSITION. MEETING OF UNIONIST PARTY. LONDON, January 27. The Daily Telegraph’s lobbyist says that the Unionist party, including members of the House of Commons, defeated candidates and peers, meet on the 11th February. Mr Baldwin intends to make a frank statement of the reasons for seeking a dissolution and the causes of defeat. He will leave the question of the future leadership in the party’s hands. It is expected the meeting will result in a untied consolidated opposition to meet the Government when the House of Commons reassembles. There is every reason to believe that the leaders will recommend that tariff reform shall not find a place in the party's immediate programme. It is believed ardent Protectionists will agree to this view.

CHARACTER VITAL. DANGERS OF A COALITION. LONDON, January 27. The Church Tunes, discussing the pohtiral situation, says that the present circumstances if a coalition had been formed it would have been dominated by Mr Lloyd George, who is a facile politician with no fixed principles. Mr Churchill is a wayward genius whose immense self-confidence unfits him for uncontrolled authority. Lord Birkenhead, in his rectorial address at Glasgow, sneered at ideals which are the very soul of Christian religion. “Without desiring to minimise the situation, we suggest that thanks should be offered to God for saving the country from the Uoyd George-Churchill-Birkenhead combination, Character in high places was never more vital than to-day.” BRITISH MINISTERS. THREAT ON MR MACDONALD’S LIFE. LONDON, January 27. Messrs MacDonald, Henderson, Thomas, Webb and Gosling have resigned their membership of the Labour International. Mr MacDonald, like other Premiers, has received threatening letters. The writers are mostly regarded as being of unbalanced mind. The police have arranged for their personal protection. COMMUNIST LEADER. WOULD NOT SACRIFICE HIS INDEPENDENCE. LONDON, January 27. (Received January 28, 11.0 p.m.) .n the course of a speech in London, Mr George Lansbury stated that Mr at Don aid had offered him a Ministerial post but as it was outside the Cabinet he decided that it was not worth his while sacrificing his independence. THE HOUSING PROBLEM. MINISTER OF HEALTH CONFIDENT. LONDON, January’ 25. In the course of a speech at Glasgow, the Minister of Health (Mr J. Wheatley) strongly denounced the housing conditions. He did not reveal his plans, beyond suggesting that the country’s credit must be used to bring the unemployed into touch with building materials. He declared the Government’s demands for housing would vastly exceed those of the late Government. He was not at all nervous. If the British people would support him in a reasonable scheme he would put the probdem on a way to solution. TAXATION AND PRODUCTION. GOVERNMENT INQUIRY. LONDON, January 28. (Received January 28, 11.30 p.m.) Mr Worley. a Labour M.P., speaking at Mansfield, said it was claimed that the country would reject the Capital Levy but money must come from somewhere. The Government therefore proposed an inquiry embracing all forms of taxation, also an inquiry into the costs of production of every necessary commodity. LABOUR POLICY IN BRITAIN. LORD HARROWBY’S INDICTMENT. WELLINGTON. January 28. The Earl of Harrowby, who arrived this evening by the Maunganui on a tour of the Dominion, expressed the opinion that the Labour Government would adopt a “milk and water” policy in the United Kingdom, and would hold office entirely at the whim of the Liberals. He asserted that the electors were misled into believing that the issue before them involved heavy taxes on food and charged the Radicals with “wanton misrepresentation.” The Earl of Harrowby, who visited New Zealand in 1889, after having left college, is renewing his acquaintance with the Dominion.

Asked for his opinion on the outlook in Great Britain, he said that to him, like many others who left Home before the elections, it came as a shock to learn that the Baldwin Government had decided on an appeal to the electors.

“ I left in October,” he said, “and there was no question then of a general election. It was evidently owing to the influence the Dominions Prime Ministers at the Imperial Conference brought to bear on Mr Baldwin, that he adopted the courageous and honourable action in appealing to the country in support of the policy advocated by the dominions and which met with the hearty and sympathetic approval not only of the late Prime Minister, but of the Conservative Party as a whole, that is Imperial preference. There is a man who had just got into

office and might have remained there for four years as Prime Minister. There is no Minister who would have done what he did io jeopardise his position. It was a very oold thing to do. Lord Harrowby could not find words to express his denunciation of the tactics of the Radicals in the general election cam-

*’ To say that it was wanton misrepresentation would be expressing it altogether too mildly,” he said. ‘My son, who represented Shrewsbury Division of Salop, was defeated by a campaign of lies. The elec it rs. especially the women, were told that their food would cost more, and that to support the Conservative Party would mean to bring about heavier taxation on food. The Radical candidate went around among the cottagers and told them the same story in my son’s electorate.” “ I do not think the Labour Government can stay in power very long,” remarked the Earl. “The Liberal Party entirely controls the situation. Labour represents not ;one-fifth of the electors, and in the meantime are there entirely on sufferance. I do not believe the country as a whole wants Labour. As long as the Liberal Party 3 upports them they will continue, out it will be only inilk and water’ measures that they will introduce.”