BRITISH POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1900, 9 October 1906, Page 2

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE LABOR PARTY.

PRESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT Brisbane, Oai. 8. Mr Ramsay Mao Donald, M.P., interviewed, said the Labor Party id Eng- • land would not countenance any form of protection. The argument that it would provide more work at higher wages for tho British artisan was unsound. He did not know what preference Australia wanted. If she wished Britain to take her products, he could say they were taking all they could send, so preference would not benefit her. If Australia wanted prices raised, that would mean the British people would have to pay an increase in the oost of living. The goods Australia sent were not competing with those of Home producers, but if the tariff on agricultural produots was raised the English produoer would demand that it bi sufficiently high to protect them, There was protection right away, and that his party would not acoept. Mr McDonald, continuing, said they felt that economically she basis of prefer- - enca was unsound, and that it would not give the results either oommero ally or politically that Australians desired. From a political point of view preference was only run by Mr Chamberlain and his friends in order to get party capital. While they mouthed about Empire what they wanted was an aristocratic Government. Those men simply put the Empire as a counter in the party. He was opposed to that

Dealing wilh English labor questions, be said be considered the decision of the miners’ federation not to join the Labor party was the heaviest blow the Ltbe ra section of the trades union movement had ever reoeived. Referring to Mr R, Bell’s recently cabled statements, he said Mr Bell had been wiped out and was of no consequence. His speech was only a personal attack. He denied that he (Mr MacDonald) overrepresented two Liberal newspapers. He did not represent any newspaper, but one Liberal newspaper offered to take anything he cared to send. He believed if there was a freer interchange of information and the cable news was in honest hands a great deal of good would acorue. At the present time there was nothing bad enough for.the cables tossy about Australia. Mr Mao Donald explained that bis visit was only half offioial and partly on account of bis hoaltb.