NOTES FROM LONDON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 909, 31 August 1910, Page 8

NOTES FROM LONDON.

POLITICS, TRADE AND LABOUR' QUESTIONS. AN AVERAGE HOME-KEEPING BRITON'S VIEWS. INTERESTING BUDGET OF COMMENTS. • '• - • : Some time' ago -wo' published extracts •from--a communication from tho 'London' . representative ..of a large New Zealand mercantile ■ house, to the headquarters of .his firm here, which, touched, on many, questions of general interest, in a .breezy and informative wayi . By Monday's mails another of these 'letters cairio to .hand /and. we have been permitted to' take .the, : following extracts' therefrom, which we havD^no.'(loubt 'will 'prove equally' interResting'to 'our readers:— ' "London, July 22, 1910. ' "Since* reviewing at tho opening, of : the year -the progressof events ,in relation to their.influence on trade," much of mo-, 'ment lias occurred; -It may be-'of interest; to : recapitulate tho more salient features; arid add such'comments as suggest; themselves to us in. relation to, them.

, 'Aftermath of tho Elections.- .: When we last wrote, a general election .:-bad: again'placed'iri-pbwer a Liberal Ad■'•v:. .miriistration- with Mr. • Asquith as premier and Mr. Lloyd-George as master,' ■ (but, this Administration ,had /.to meet parliament, with a'greatly-attenuated-ma-jority . to' such' an extent, indeed,, as. to .'give-the key of tho positionto Mrl Bisd- .- 0 irion'd • antl ■ the* Irish party,' who .accept r his - leadership.- Mr. Redmond is an asi.v 'tute, politician, and the task he .set him- . self was to wring from the Government, s" • by threat or. cajolment,; any concessions / that .the situation-.made;. possible, but not to urge, them' to a point that would -. '; place the Government .in-a minority. and - precipitate an early appeal, to:, the elec- ' ' torate—and this, for,dual.reasons. First, because ; he had of a doininat-: : .: :ing' -influencev after, another ■ appeal to' 'the. country; and, secondly,; because the late election had ;sb- depleted party. . (fundsytis -to.'.make -another, election; a /imost• undesirable .thing .until the party ; jpurse had been replenished- by a. further :,* appeal to America aid (jther supporters of;lis party." Tho. counby was there- '"' ifor'e treated to much .political by-play as. ibotweeu - him and Mr. -Asquith—not 'very - 'dignified: perhaps, but just a phase of, the', .part}- game. Incidentally Mr. liedmond ' hvon: 'a - further grant' of - a million stcrl- ..." ting. i:.'; , The . first step of - the new Government, r.,. foas to .introduce veto proposals in re-. . letrairit of the. power "of the Upper ' House, . 'land; Mr. Uedmond was in a measure pla- . cated -.by • the / promise:, that this should , - - be, : the first concern of the /Government 'in.'the way of .'.legislation,-':: Biuce lie' was ,vV qujck--to grasp, thafc .if .this : step-, / be . successfully accomplished,, .'it ' would ■-...'\gjeatly. favour his'/ political tactics in : with future' Governments.: .Mr. Asquith, however, on,' reflection;', exhibited no burning desire tu force -the pace. .Meanwhile Mr. : Lloyd-George,, instead of ■ - - collecting the'-taxes • by passing'' through his Budget, to which course no sort ol .'[ y . obstaclo . was!v opposed, borrowed - money - - . ior -the needs': of • tho.; country \ at' mter- , . est iinstead of getting it ..in without ■ ; : tere'st... ; , It .was obvious enough; that this *'- *:..was ..done' to .creato, an,..atmosphere oi -. financial - confusion, . and so enable him to point out the,'.mischief the - .Upper ' : j'Honse had. done 'by delaying the Budget, ■~.'but,'it -fcli;flat\as' a : party, move; tho ac- \ . and i tie motive i'for it- was too ob-; >.:0. vious'.'i:' .'.Tho Upper House is ; ' a" much-: ' 'threatened ( institution,.' and, like all :in- - fititutions, : :is.capable;bf:reformation, buy 'f; except ;for a.' for/' fiery-Nonconformist Di- ( -•'. ; ; yine3: arid .: a. noisy,.,:but not . numerous ;, . i group' of . Socialists, it is -not seriously objected. to; ;• The people of this country ;' ' reedgnise clearly" enough that the -mem-,. . bers of it,, who are ;a ! .real power, aro* in; tho main men of high character and of "': administrative capacity—a large body of them recruited from various . walks. of •life where thoir-'intelligence and energy. Jiave: 'raised-' them' 'to - eminence.. -- As a. Wy they-are intolerant-of cranks!; theyi i»ro deliberative, : slow ; to action, < and".do. 'is Ja; matter vof fact represent some .of the most;.stable.'.characteristics . of.: the - ' r.ountry 'and .oppose a needful , bulwark ;- . against 'ill-considered .- legislation,. which • often, .by some wave'of sentiment or poli- ; - '■ tical passion, is forced on a country-be l "■ fore the. of ..such legisla- ■ !;'tion'has -been duly,thought out.

The King's Death.. • In the midst of .this'political turmoil, -! King Edward returned to_ England to face : ■ perhaps as difficult a'.'positibn as: has ever , !;V fallen to th#lot . of _ a constitutional . monarch, and was stricken down, . and 'died:, This .brought a! truce to jiolitical ' warfare. .''The sorrow at .King' Edward's : removal from.the scene was universal-and sincere. ;B,ut the British Empiro cannot . stand still; ,!and ; so King',Georgo;,'assumed .his father's.:'mantle,' .and -.the domestic . life and simple habits of himself and Consort,' and, his-genuine'- wish to " . '..have .round, him all of: good ..repute, and • . to. faithfully '• serve "his country, assures ! \ those Iwho (have- .the best . means: of form- ••••;'• irig a judgment'.that .he will' brini* ;to ! ' his office nothing ; brit. what. will, minister ; -to the:dignity of:the Crown and the well- " : .being'of tho .country:;:' The political truco - :; thus'-imposed- changed^-the atmosphere, i ! ' and at ithe present , juncture' Mr. Asquith /ain& Mr. Balfour are-in conference to see U-whether' some common ,' ground can .be found, .to terminate theXaeadlock created by the -"Veto":: • proposals,.'. '.the.' truth ': being.neither side^wisliia political crisis ! , ..at",the': present," .aiul it. is reasonable to assume neither side desire : to: be, domin- : ated 'by' Mr. 'Redmond -now . or hero- ■ ''after.' .':"/ ."■ - ■ Attention , turned once . again to . ''Tariff.. Reform," ! which was 'tha-sub-' vject/of yet .'another debate' in' the Com- ':! 'mbus.r-but'the'day .of legislation in that ' -direction has . not ;.yet. .dammed..' This - ' question ' is ' perhaps one which is - regai'ded by the'-teenling' population of the . . . Old Country somewhat differently -than ;■ by those' whb. find their home in the' disV tant dominions of the" Empire. To those ' the problems that ■ press ..on", the staterfmen of the .Motherland have'not become ; acute; the spectre of the starvation point of want .is., one hardly visible; to those .: at -Home, it w an ever-looming spectre. • Trade: Reciprocity. . . ; - 'Overseas' there is no:doubt a sentiment towards it ;is . not. clearly : outHjibd' -to. the - wage-earning - classes ' at Home : wiere the reciprocity,is to come ,in. ;"; : The -man in- the< street, argues,- that, in the exercise : 'of ''-'their/'■ unquestionable rights, the free governing!people of tho Britisii dominions ; impose - on a great- ■ -volume of' the imports from: the Motherland -an onerous" • taxation, even to . the point "of prohibitionif the - of; :'lijcal • production seems to warrant. it: to'this he' raises no protest,.but. he recognises -that : to your imports-here'he presents. no obstacle. - AH'is freely ; taken without' impost of-any. sort, , and to insure. ; the inviolability of your, trado 1 routes, : he pays -an Admiralty bill of many .millions sterling .'annualljv and . ho . :;asmrts' your' development by' lending you , enormous ' sums, of money, and assures you of a low rate of interest by. making your Government stock a trustee security de- ' . spite tho' inevitable depreciation of his • own securities.' Now, on the whole, the man'-ih' the'- street is not unfair in his attitude; he is. free from the-cant of political hypocrisy;-he knows well enough , , that'..w"hat, actuates you and him'is a consideration, of what mil suit your respective' interests. Either side may err as to what'does suit .their interest, but 'that is the, motive, and it is sound, and .: ml] .endure and rule the future, as it : has, ruled the past,, and is not .fatal to the ■ patriotism - that will impel all. to * make sacrifices in defence. of a common " ' Empire, be it threatened at the heart or ,at the . extremities., 4s, an' oversea dominion, justly proud , of your progress, which in a small community is easily grasped, you aro perhaps prone to overlook the different probleins of: the Motherland and - the advantage she derives from a.free market. : Facts for Pessimists. To bring into prominence the character . ,of British trade, we quote some figures from an address of Lord Brassey to the London Chamber of Commerce, which appear to" us to be not without significance, and they seem to suggest that, if the Old

Country is 'effete and decaying, the process is not' devoid of satisfactory features. Textiles. i Millions : Sterling. Wo prodnce' 217 ■ We import 40 . ' Total .......... 287 Wo export 139 Home consumption. 148 Iron and Steel; We produce ..." 103 We import 8Total ' 113 We exp0rt5...;....; .38 . ' •• We use 75 •Manufactured Articles. , .We imported in 1003, 53 millions; in 1908, 45. millions.' We, exported in 1903, 88 millions; in 1908, 103 millions.' .. .. Now these figures do not surely point to decay, and they would ccrtainiy'havo been much less' in volume had we not procured our supplies in the cheapest market and so kept down' the "cost 1 of living. It is probable that the ratio of profit to .trade, done 'is* considerably less than it has been, but the dividend returns of many of our largo concerns, and the total upon which income tax is paid, do hot surely point to that conclusion, and if there had been , free; trade in adult labour these totals would have been greatly increased, and the.wages fund of the country would.havo been greater; but tho ignorance of trades unions, furthered by Unconsidered 'legislation,, havd tended to greatly increase costs, and so contract output, and, except at the imperious calls of hunger,' we see : little, prospect of' these contracting influences suffering , any . check; but it seems' .probable to many .reflecting' men that retarding causes are bleeding countries like Germahy'and America fa^more seriously than they'do us, and' it is probable that- some at 'least ' of' ' the overseas dominions would have-made a more satisfactory arid stable progress if they had displayed'less insularity of outlook and had, encouraged a freer flow of population, which -yet remains 'so sparse ' that industrial■ concerns outside those of ngri-: culture languish' in .development for lack of a population to adequately support them, or to enable: them to introduce the -best'methods .arid- highly, skilled labour.' One of the consequences is'that the'service' of : the' . debt imposes an 1 .undue burden on the . .individual," and, moreover,' .'militates;: against. lending countries, such as this, continuing to-: regard that'channel ill'so: favourable, a 'light as 'would'.be the' ease if circumstances were otherwise. 1 . Adverse Conditions. ;. ' We,' havo ' "endeavoured to. 'touch on the more. salient,\features'.of* ; the'position as' they -'-present.- themselves to. an "'" average homerteepingßritori;. : you.. • may 'differ from -his conclusions, but-that will not alter-\'them,..and. so they' are perhaps, worth presentation. .' The. various circumstances already set forth, have tended to import a feeling .of uncertainty in" trade circles; other. causes, are.likewise opera-, .tive..: In: America,' State intervention in the matter of railway, rates'and over the operations of trusts'," 'has ' caused a: severe check in- 'that: country, .-and; important'; .work 'which, was to' have,.been" entered. • into: has, .been' ' hiing up • and led to a weaker tone. ',-Then the cotton crop: suffered damage by late'frosts, arid more .lately a spell of drought 'in the wheat belt-prom'ises:to result.-in.'a light harvest. -Also' in Germany.there has been a check,' and ' tho various 'steel ,' and .iron'', rings in that' country"have become' more or- less disorganised,, and-prices; have given way and /led , to Ithe.-importation .'of; a ;go'oddeal 'of, low-priced. material- , into : this country. ; These. adverse conditions- may. :be only temporary, but.-this cannot be : decided until the-'autumn 'trade sets in, ■when the.', outlook ' will ...become : more .defined;.' :f ..j •Labour Troubles, ."

We'will not further'"extend . our; remarks beyond , adding that the attitude of Labour, kasbceii of a'very vexatious ' Eorti- We have had.. no ■. important, and . sustained strike;: but » many . local 'stoppages, which greatly disorganise business. At .the Welsh shipping ports the men have given , much trouble,'and the .Shipowners-: had ;to ..import . outside labour, : but- the /Government .refused to .extend 'adequate'protection,' and'forced on the • employers,an/expensive arbitration which wasgiven.in, their,' favour'," but the men. refused to abide by .the.' award, and. the. 'matter is'no nearer! a settlement; than at the start, and at the. time bf writing thousands of pounds' worth of . cargo for New Zealand is lyingVat.Avonmouth and cannot be'handled for the above reason. A Government who,refuse the'elementary right of protection . to"'its citizens in the exercise of.their.lawful' avocations, stands' condemned. . That sturdy Quaker, John Bright,'! even" held - that, effusion, of blood in 'regaining violence I 'was 'justified;! he would! 'had'-he :been'"lmn'B, ' have had little sympathy with/the present'maudlin sentimentality which protects, wrongdoing at tie. expense of right. ,' .