IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2666, 23 November 1909, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

CABLE NEWS.

A PEER AND THE BUDGET

United Press Association —CorvßianT, LONDON. Nov. 21.

Arguing that the Budget taxes are purely financial and the method, of valuation strictly subservient to and necessary to their collection, Lord Courtney, of Penwick, in a letter to the “Times,” rebuts the charge of “'tacking.”

LIBERALS AND LABORITES—A LABOR MEMBER’S VIEWS.

(Receivedj Nov. 22, 9.20 p.m.)

LONDON, Nov. 22.

Mr Arthur Henderson, Labor member for Barnard Castle, speaking at Bishop Auckland, said that it was one thing to desire to avoid a conflict between the Liberal and Labor parties, and another to know how to do it. Three-cornered contests were the outcome of democratic power inevitably, especially as the present wa,s a transition period. The t Labor Party had two million members paying into the Parliamentary fund for securing direct representation. He did not anticipate a fight upon the present issue. The National Executive of the Labor Party must decide upon Mr Pearse’s letter, hut he did not think it afforded any basis of agreement, since it required labor to rest content with its present strength during the next Parliament. Mr Henderson approves of the suggestion that the Government should carry a Bill before the dissolution providing for a second ballot and for all elections being held on the same day.

[Mr J. A. Pearce, Liberal member for Saffron Walden, in a letter urged that as far as possible Liberals should respect seats held by Labor members, and he urged the Labor Representation Committee to respect Liberal seats. He added: “If an aggressive attitude is persisted in by Ljibor the latter are more likely to ,be the losers-”]

SIR GILBERT PARKER’S OPINION

(Received, November 22, 11.5 p.m.) Sir Gilbert Parker, (Conservative member for Gravesend), speaking at Yeadon, described Messrs Lloyd-George and Winston Churchill as “twin thun-der-pumuers,” and said that the people would not make the question of the House of Lords a crucial issue at the elections. The straight issue would be tariff reform against socialism.

THE BUDGET AND UNEMPLOYMENT,

Writing on this subject in the “Westminster Gazette,” Sir FraTteis Mowatt says ;—“Whatever may be the amount of new taxation which will, fall on land or it is not, as >1 understand, contended that all dependents now drawing wages from those sources will lose their situations. Many of them certainly—most of them probably l —will continue in their . employment, and their wages .will be met, where necessary, Jby some curtailment of superfluous luxury on the part of their employer. ' But how' will the money raised by the new taxation be expended? The whole sixteen million —to the last hattpenny —will bo so spent as to provide employment for the working-classes. Additional employment in the dockyards or in the shipbuilding trade, for the increase and maintenance- of the •Navy. - Additional custom and employment for the tradesmen throughout the country, over whose counters will pass the whole nine million of the old-age pensioners’ allowances. Even if the story stopped here the taxes in question would (produce an amount of employment far greater than if the money had remained in the pockets and at the disposal of the capitalists and the landowners; but the story has a good deal more to teach us. The expenditure of the owners of great wealth is largely on the graces, the luxuries, the splendour of life. I do not blame them; .such outlay is natural, perhaps almost unavoidable by persons in their position, and I am only concerned here with the economical effect of their actions. But such expenditure must be, to a great extent, unproductive—i.e.y it' does ’not produce Additional or f urther employment: •A- few examples which-have" actually occurred -will ;ilr. lustratd this: • A capitalist expended one million 'pounds on a collection or pictures',' sculpture; and bronzes. AA-. other bought a picture forone hundred thousand pounds; yet anbther-gave, ihis daughter jewellery valued at L4<,000. The list might, of course, be extended indefinitely. It is obvious that expenditure of this sort leads to, practically, mo further employment, or, at all events, to far less than would the same money if invested in working a coal mine, building a .steamship,, or miking a railroad.” v /