BRITISH BY-ELECTION.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20176, 3 March 1931, Page 9

BRITISH BY-ELECTION.

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE. fanna® raxes asspk^tioh—bs electbio TBLEGBAPH—COPYEIGHT.) LONDON, March I'. Sir Ernest Petter has announced that he is contesting the St. George's (Westminster) vacancy (owing to the death of Sir Laming Worthington Evans) as ,an Independent Conservative. This is a definite challenge to Mr Stanley Baldwin's leadership, which he.describes as disastrous. He " f avoids Empire free trade, economy, and a firm hand in India. Sir Ernest Pettor's announcement haß shocked the Conservatives, whose dismay has been intensified by the refusal of Colonel Jf. T. C. MooveBrabaakra, Who was Minister for Transport in the. Baldwin Government, to accept the Party's nomination for St. George's.—"Tho Times" Cable.

I Sir "Willoughby Petter,'■> j British industrialist, was born in May, 1873.' Trained as Tan engineer, he beI came a director, and, eventually .chairj man of Fetters, Ltd., manufacturers of i aircraft and oil engines on a large | scale. For two years, from 1923 t° r>1925, he : Was president of the British j Engineers' Association. He was also I a member of the cotincil of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, ana i of the Federation of British Industries. " In. 1935 he was knighted. He I was appointed to the Advisory Council! of the. Board of Trade. 1° September, 1990, Mr W. Graham, _ President of the Board of Trade m the Labour Government, announced at .the' League of Nations meeting that the' British Government was prepared to ratify the commercial convention which he had pwwwd some montba earlier. Kiiown as the tariff truce, this convention proposed that for a definite period no change should pe made in European tariffs, Sir Ernest Petter. in view of the great extent of unemployment in Britain, at once resigned from tho- Advisory Council, i Describing the Government's , policy as "suicidal," he declared that; the 'tariff trace" would mean that, while other nations would be free to main* i»sii'> their high and in many cases ptahfljH»v« tarifis against British would. be man ten the ..dumping of goods, a large proportion of which were made aifder not permitted hy .l&slwict 8 tried to'entar Bariiatnenl—ln Ifitf, and 1922~a5 Qpndiaatt) for North BnswV, but waaaefaated. ■ ■ ; v ' Cwonel" was. ParliaSecretary to the Ministry of Assort" fim im t«. 1927, in. Mr Government. i (