LIBERAL CHALLENGE

Southland Times, Issue 19171, 15 February 1924, Page 5

LIBERAL CHALLENGE

POLITICAL CRISIS IMMINENT LABOUR AND POOR LAW ADMINISTRATION MR WHEATLEY AND THE POPLAR GUARDIANS. (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.! LONDON, February 13. (Received February 15. 1.0 p.m.) The House of Commons resumed its sitting to-night when the discussion was taken )n the Government’s policy as outlined by the Premier the previous evening. Mr Stanley Baldwin, who opened the debate. deplored the fact that no information was afforded as to whether or not the Navy, Army or Air Force would be increased or diminished. There was not a single word of how unemployment w*as to be cured. It was touching to observe the hope springing eternal from the human breast. Mr MacDonald was optimistically hugging sweet reasonableness as an infallible specific for restoring Europe. A long succession of Prime Ministers had adopted the same method. While wishing him greater success, he warned him against, carrying the policy too far and not reaping the rewards for his reasonableness. He asked what was meant by “the Union of Soviet Republics,” what was their territory and with whom was Britain making arrangements. Until commercial justice was achieved and honest dealing restored, business with R.issia would be impossible. Mr Asquith said that the Liber?! and Conservative election programmes contained most, if not all, of the Government’s proposals. He intended to ask for a full discussion on Mr Wheatley’s action regarding the Poplar guardians which, he believed there was not the slightest chance of receiving the countenance of the House of Commons. Mr J. R. Clynes declared that he had no complaints against the tone and temper of the criticisms. He realised that the Government must measure its paces according to the limits to which it would be able to drive members of all parties. He promised an opportunity to discuss the action at Poplar when he would submit the full facts. The Government intended to express its own views on the resolutions of the Imperial Conference. It would be impossible to approach the question of the Capital Levy until the country had expressed its approval on it. Mr G. Lansburg, who headed the Poplar demonstrations resulting in Mr Wheatley’s decision, denied that Poplar wished to break the law. They took the attitude that Sir Alfred Mond's peremptory order fixing pauper relief was an illegal document. He added: "There ara? worse things for the country than revolution. We want to break up the present poor law and start afresh.” The debate was adjourned. PRESS COMMENT. •‘CRISIS OF THE FIRST MAGNITUDE.” “A SHATTERING BLOW.” LONDON, February 14. (Received February 14, 10 pan.) Mr Asquith’s declaration in regard to the Poplar Guardians is given prominence in the newspapers and provokes widely divergent views. The Labour contention is concisely stated in the Daily Herald as follows: “When the Liberals studied Mr Wheatleys action they were bound to discover thus ‘storm in a teacup.’ Sir Alfred Mond’s order, which limited the amount of poor law relief in Poplar, was issued in connection with an Act of Parliament in 1921. This Act was superseded in 1923. Sir Alfred Mpnd's order has always been ineffective. It became obsolete last year and has now been rightly rescinded. Many jumped to the conclusion that Mr Wheatley had given the Poplar Guardians a free hand to distribute relief without stint. That is a ridiculous error. The general conditions governing relief remain unaltered. Poplar is subject to the same rules as other places.” The Daily Express characterises the development as a crisis of the first magnitude. It says: Mr MacDonald must reverse this decision or face certain defeat.” The Daily Express understands that Mr Asquith is determined to press the issue to a vote. The political correspondent of the Morning Post says: “The Liberal leaders have found that their decision to put the Socialists in office has greatly offender a large mass of Liberal opinion in the country.” The Daily Telegraph editorially observes: “A shattering blow has been struck at the Government by the quarter from which it comes with the most effect on the second day of ite Parliamentary existence. If the Government survive the incident, it will do so with fatally diminished prestige.” Except in regard to the action of the Minister of Health in granting the Poplar Guardian permission to increase the amount of poor relief, the morning papers find little to criticise in Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s speech. The Liberal organs particularly comment with approval and declare that the new Government had a highly creditable opening day. However, Parliamentary correspondents represent the Left wing of the Labour Party as disappointed and sulky, one Labourite terming it “a Liberal speech with a lew chunks of Toryism.” STRUGGLE FOR SEATS. LABOUR M.P. AS DEPUTY-SPEAKER. LONDON, February 14. (Received February 15, 1.0 a.m.) Mrs Wintringham, who is the most buxom woman in the House of Commons, lost her hat in the struggle for seats on Tuesday. Later, Mr Sexton, the Labour member for St. Helens, protested against “the ‘ungodly rush,” in which they knocked me down and walked over me like a carpet.” Mr Robert Young has been unanimously elected Deputy-Speaker of the House of Commons and Chairman of Committees. Mr Ramsay MacDonald stated that negotiations had proceeded on the basis of each party having one member acquainted with the duties of the chair. THE DRIVING HAND OF LABOUR. PRIME MINISTER’S EXPOSITION. NOTHING TO FEAR. A POLICY OF CONFIDENCE. LONDON, February 13. Mr MacDonald in his policy speech thanked the calm and sane business men who had warned investors not to make fools if themselves owing to the advent of a Labour Government. He appealed to the cc untry to keep steady. Sooner oi later the country had to become acquainteu with the driving hand of Labour, and it would be elad that it had come sooner, and the -ooner the misapprehensions regarding the advent of Labour were proved to be mere josh the better it would be for everybody :oncerned. Mr MacDonald said he hoped that the experience that the country and the Empire was going to have would make it impossible for any such statements to be made in future. His Government was not going to pursue a policy of tranquility, but of confidence. It intended to take the decision of the House with regard to the ratification of the Lausanne Treaty, and llso the Treaty of Tangier. With reference to the Wireless Committee’s report, the Prime Minister said he hoped that when it was received it would De possible to settle the matter finally. With reference to Russia, he said that a complete stu’ement of all the outstanding points between Russia and England had been sent to Moscow. One of the

most important of these concerned antiBritish propaganda, a cessation of which he would certainly insist upon. Mr MacDonald declared that the relations with France had drifted under Britain’s Conservative Government, so that they could only have resulted in a fresh European war. He hoped that a complete agreement would be reached in a few days with regard to the Palatinate, and before the end of the year France and Britain should be in whole-hearted co-operation with the other nations in establishing conditions for European settlement. Mr MacDonald paid a tribute to M. Poincare for the latter’s instant and hearty response to his approaches. “France,” he said, “has nothing to fear from any policy that we may pursue, and I am sure that nothing will arise between us but goodwill and honest dealing. We must consider the problems of Reparations and the Ruhr from the standpoint of France and Britain, and do everything to find a satisfactory agreement.”

THE POSITION OF FRANCE. LORD HALDANE’S ASSURANCES. LONDON, February 13. In the House of Lords Lord Haldane dealt with the importance of maintaining the Anglo-French friendship. He declared that security was what in their hearts the French people desired most. The British Government wished France security almost as much as she wished it herself. The only difference was a difference in methods. Lord Haldane pointed out the impossibility of reducing armaments until a better method of security was obtained by some sort of common mind among the European nations. If France would come with them into the consideration of this and other methods of security, it would not only assure her untroubled future, but secure relief for both France and Britain from a very heavy burden. NAURU PHOSPHATES. THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE. LONDON, February 13. The Supplementary Estimates include £160,000, being the United Kingdom’s share of a further £253,000 capital required for the Nauru Island phosphate undertaking. This sum will be paid to the nUited Kingdom’s representative on the British Phosphate Commission, who will pay into the United Kingdom’s exchequer an equivalent sum representing the Government’s share of the surplus profits of the undertaking for the period to June 30, 1922. Interest will not be payable on further capital provided.

FRENCH APPRECIATION OF THE PREMIER’S ATTITUDE. PARIS, February 13. (Received February 15, 1.0 a.m.) Official circles are most appreciative of Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s cordial tone and are convinced of his sincerity and determination to appreciate the French viewpoint. They are confident that the practical task of working out a solution of the various questions will be carried out in a spirit of mutual understanding, based on the new cordial atmosphere.