POLITICAL CRISIS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14018, 24 September 1909, Page 2

POLITICAL CRISIS.

BPEECH BY MR. BALFOUR.

HEAVY BLOW AT THE liriXiET. THE RICH CAN LAUGH. WHAT WE WANi 1S BL'oLaKSS. By Electric Telegraph.- Copy righ' LONDON/ Sept. '23. Mr. Balfour, Leader of tl.e Oi>)v,-i tion, before commencing his speech .'it Bingloy Hall. Birmiii';h.im, read a Jeter from Mr. <Jo.vp'.t (!lnnberl- .. speaker declared that tl o letter ti-ow '' Mr. Chamberlai.i was a!-'o .o j-i><" '•<"•■ bis matured thought on the uu .* .«•>< tical crisis. The letter was a, i.jilw.i* Tho view tli-L the Bi. 1 i<-t k >< \ <-o; man's Bud,, 't 1 i,:i-.U<-. could abolish novelty or : ■>'" -■>' ; riches the social refer re .'■>•. be easy. Am- <>» ! < ='•• ' ■' waltb. Awiii 111 1 !' : " "".'i.ithe doctrines which i:i • ■% n . 1 cation t!i<- v ' ole sr i.iiisi I.!••1 .!••. >•!•• Tbe Budget •« i"-t a <■< ; l.n > <•» <• tbe tr«uliu.-!;s t:l tl« v.• > '• •!" ' •• the Exchequer during tli • l:i-l Iyears. It ma->qi:oi"v..n". I.i <■■•'- <■■ "■■"■ but they don't lit. If -ox. wait U know w'.r.L tV '■'. i.* vf m.W- rler>. ri t'uo fluducl aro thiiiu;.ig don t r.' to Mr. Asnuifch or to thoso ho muMided to placate last Friday eve?ii:»g, but go k» i\y cau.l.d r.trra .< o »>f bin more insi-ortcnt col'.'-awos Mr. As'tU'tr-'s version of tl.c liintji < is imr-..'i.nl :< r drawing rooi.i i.de. ll ii vetfr different to tint tfivon by the street corner or;>t'-r cr rt ! .> '-'i. jn.r.j. c jlleagues. T'-n then p. "l were 1 ns'-t r-i i\'< n"- ting, nv'urling 2^HI re-™ •litivioi the Unionist and CouaervatMo A'socir.tion.s ot the Midlaiulh. 'i !u-iv wire fiitv thousand a.ifl'fati n-j i'-r .rtii.P-sh-i>. IV<ts, (.'omii.onorH ar«! ir.i'.i dat*> li'.ie.l t'..-' l-l.vLloim. M IvU", wor- pr-,-!t. A sc«'in' if I'll ciiipilc enthusi-umi toi \ plate wl'i-n Mr. Halfour entered with Mrs. (' n. I'-cil.un. It Wits renewed when Mr. AuhU-n Chamberlain read the mossag" from hib father.

THE FISCAL ISSUR

Mr. Ba'four said: "I bopo l!<" Lon! will see their way to force a general election, and I don't doubt what the answer will be. Mr. Asouith s-eoU t< represent the Budget as an advantage to the working men. 1 cannot talw tlvs *iew of the Budget. llio la,M effort of free trade finances is to find a substitute for tariff reform and Imperial preference. Tho Budget is avowedly intended to destroy the tariff, a form and movement wliich I believe is a necessary remedy for the present went of employment. The Budget wdl supply us with money but deprive us of work. Therefore you hnve to cnopw l>etween tariff roform, which astute trade, increase.-? employment, 3nd secures a fair contribution of revenue from foreigners ufcing our markets, and the Budget, which casts fresh burdens on our trade, hampers our industries. and takes the coraraone'jt comi'eH? frarr. our people." Mr. Balfour continued: "Socialistic folly cannot go further than it has in the hands of -the resent Government. With regard to the land, the modern Radical Government says 'Let us abandon small land ownership and only give small lease of ownership.' That soeins SOCIALISM GONE MAD. Security is the very essence of industrial success. You cannot confiscate property of A without making B tremble in his- shoes. It was no uso to pass philanthropic legislation if tho poor were more injured by thCTncntiov^ in which you obta : n the inonev. Ca:>itsl is mobile and international. Captal is ready to move to America, Germany or England if tho holder «cti interest. It matters little to the rich capitalist whether he gets it by giving employment in America. Britain or Germany. Is it all one to tlie workers of this country? That is the problem you have to consider. I think it the root, tlie cniei?l point, and tho essential knot of this controversy. What we ,vr,:\t Is business. The policy which gives business is the 1 policy for the poor man. Tbe rich c*n laugh *t any Chancellor of the Exchequer. When at Birmingham tiro years ago I pointed out that owing to the progress of expenditure and the need of finding money it would bring home to every thinking man the necessity of the- alterat:- nof tho fiscal syateni. That prophecy lisb come true. The .old i systcn has, broken down. The fiscal

MACHINERY MUST BE SCRAPPED

Tt \% 'intolerable that while America and

Geririt -y are allowed to forge weanor.-s by whir'i they are going to withdraw from our sphere of comutGrcial influ- <••»'*«'. our own colonies, we shall sit with Fnld'tl arms hiding behind an antiquated formula and refuse to look the facts in tho faco. I confess I look with aroazc-

mout, ii«»t with contempt, upon those who with perfect equanimity face a •Hhin-Hon w&ich if allowed to continue will I>nild up great communities surrounded by their own tariff walln against which we will boat in vain and will see the coldnies and dependencies of tho Crown belonging economically, industrially and financially to some other commercial system than that of which wo are the centre."