“BANGING THE DOOR.”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2046, 25 November 1907, Page 2

“BANGING THE DOOR.”

MR. DEAKIN’S REJOINDER TO MR. HALDANE.

United Press Association—Copyright MIEILIBOUBNE. Nov. 23. In reference to Mr. Haldane’s speech at Sheffield, Mr. Deakin, interviewed, said ho was greatly surprised that a man of Mr. Haldane’s eminence and ability should place such a gloss upon tho facts and dates. Mr. Churchill six months ago, at Edinburgh, asserted they had banged the door upon Imperial taxation of food. Mr. Churchill declared they had banged it, barred it, .and the largest majority ever seen in the House of Commons had its back firmly against it, and that that door would never be opened, not a chink of it would ever be opened again. He said they would not give one farthing preference on one single peppercorn. “Mr. Churchill in that speech,” says Mr. Deakin, “was speaking for Mr. Haldane and all his other colleagues in the Government. It needs no comment of mine to emphasise how unmistakably and fully Mr. Haldane’s colleagues banged the door. Our tariff was not introduced until three months afterwards, and is, of course, in the light of that declaration. So far, however, from emulating the irreconcilable attitude of Mr. Haldane and his colleagues, a feature of our tariff was preference to Britain by way of gift without any return. This was valued at 1} ■millions sterling per annum.” The real banging of the door occurred in May, when Mr. Churchill spoke at Edinburgh. The re-opening of the door, Mr. Deakin added, was when we introduced our tariff. That event has now been perverted by Mr Haldane banging it