IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14238, 2 July 1910, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Press Association-Bv Telegraph—Co I)J lirit GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENTS. LONDON. June 30. The ' 1 Daily Telgraph" reports thil Sir Gerard Lowther, Ambassador to Constantinople, is to be transferred to St. Petersburg, and that Sir Ekkra Gorst will succeed Sir Gerard Lowther' at Constantinople, thus opening tht' way for Lord Kitchener to British agent at Cairo. Sir Eldon Gorst denies that he . has been appointed Ambassador at Constantinople. THE ACCESSION OATH. Eighty thousand Orangemen in C*. nada are petitioning Mr Asquitfc ■igainst the modification of the sion oath, but the majority of Canadians strongly approve of it. CHANCELLOR'S STATEMENT. Mr Lloyd George, in introducing tha Budget, said he estimated the expenditure at £171,857,000, to which must be added the realised deficit of £26,250.000, making with the arrears of. payments to the local taxation account, £108.937.000. This is an increase of £9,755,000, and included £5,461,000 for the navy and £325,000 for tha army. The estimated revenue ia £199.791,000, leaving a surplus . of £561.000. No new taxes are proposed, but the whisky and other taxes will be altered. The pauper disqualification for old age pensions will be removed in January. Insurance against i unemployment, and invalidity, on a contributory basis, will be started in 1911. Trade had been good this year and would be better next. There had I>een a drop of ten million gallons in the spirits consumed, but tihere was no loss to iifce revenue, and a gain to the community. Thin was accompanied by a drop of 33 per cent, in convictions for drunkenness in Scotland, and improvement in some districi* of Ireland to the extent of 35 per oent. In England the convictions showed a decrease of eighteen thousand. PAUPER DISBUALIFICATION.

Received 9.45 p.m., July Ist. LONDON, July 1. A meeting of Labour Commoner* approved of the removal pf the paupei disqualification for old age pensions: and protested against Mr Lloyi Georeo's proposal that local rate« should hear a portion of the cost.

The announcement of the holding o an autumn session has satisfied-tlia ex treme Radicals.

NAVAD t EXPENDITDRE. a.m., July 2nd. LONDON, July 1. Mr- X3oy3 George, referring to inseit aiic® against unemployment, said—» "Next year if the taxes fulfil +W|* and we return to our normal naral expenditure, we Rhnll see our Jtay to start a scheme twice as liberal as Germany's scheme." I Mr Chamberlain complained of tha Chancellor's rosy view. Instead of boasting, had they better not wait and seo what were the permanent results of the taxes. MP- rtKDMOXD'S PROTEST. Mr Redmond protestod against th« reteni:o;i of tin- in<-r**aspd soirit duties as unjust, anil oppressive. He said that ho li:ul v.iili grf*at pleasure iii MAs-iuiih\; announcement of :m aiitiniin ir'f-ssion. wh:ch was the only '•riim'i <>f «-umforl ,(!io Nationalists-had had tW weeks. Mr Lloyd Coorm*. :n rcjjlv-niTV that Ireland of <ontr;butiiig had receive'! £3.200,000 under the JRud*