LONDON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 698, 24 December 1909, Page 5

LONDON.

* . SUFFRAGETTES AND THE BUDGET. \ Mr. Harry Price,.of H. Prioo and Co., Vic- > toria Street, has returned to Wellington after 1 five months' absenoe abroad. He went Home ] chiefly in connection ; \vith a patent valveless ( engine, the invention of Mr. W. H; TrengrQve, of this city, whioh. they hare left in' the hands of experts to deal with;' Mr. Prioe spent most of his time in London and Birmingham, learning all he could about the latest pattern engines, and the chances of success ot the Tren- .' grove engine, which is patented .in 6©veral countries., • r' • Mr. Price, speaking to a reporter, 6aid that tho whole oountry was very muoh. disturbed over the Budget," and one : heard' so many on both sides, speak on it," that it' was diffioult to judge which side had the balanco of opinion in its'-favour.-, ;''' "It makes you ihink d good deal," said Mr. Prioe, "when you hear of London landlords,, liks the Duke of Bedford, increasing rentals in) the. case of long leases which have just run out. from and ;J!5P' per annum to JC4OO and XoOO} per. annum. That is: what the, working. man\ objects to,':and I am not prepared to. say that' ho is not justified, for if the rentala : increa6e:6o.i enormously,: so' must the price of • the' goodi purveyed in such premises rise,' ''J "VVlien 1 was Home four years ago, I saw \ ! nothing. of the. Suffragettes at/ all. • Thi6 time' tlißy were everywhere. I happened to go up toßirmingham one day on the'same train'as the Hon. Mr. There was a motor-car waiting for him at the station, and just as he wjis about to step into - it, a aioo respectablydressed woman shouted - out: 'What about votes for women?' In a tvciiikling sho wassurtounded by men in plain olothes, whom I lisauined were deteotives, and shepherded until Mr. Asquith got clear away. "When I was •in London" continued Mr. Price, "theSuifragottes obtained admittance to tffi Guildhall as cleaners on; the day of the Lord Mayor's banquet (November 9), and when hiu lordi;hip was Bpeaking they broke-in with a volley, of interjections about votes'for women; and inVthe commotion which followed smashed- somo of the very valuable stained glass windows. At the BermoiidSey election,, too; some of thorn entered a polling booth, andpoured some blaok . liquid into ono of the ballot boxes, arid when, the ltoturning Officer attempted to prevent- thS outrage, the -fluid—. I don t know whether it was ink or. what- it was—was splashed in his face, and as tho rosult 'he: had! to .lie taken to.tho hospital." ! Mr. Price beard, on all sides that the unccr-. taintar as to what'waß to be the outcome of the Budget , was crippling business to a Very groat extent, hud the prospects for the winter were not encouraging. Tho weather was awful the whole time Mr. Price was at Home. It rained nearly every day, and for three weeks before he left London the city was enveloped in' a black fog,". during which' time not a glimpse of the sun was caught. ;y