BRITISH POLITICS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9387, 5 March 1909, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. London, March 4. In the debate on the unemployed question, Mr Ramsay MacDonald strongly objected to Mr Burns’ contemptuous dismissal of farm colonies for women. He said that if the Government did not believe in the Unemployed Workmen’s Act it ought to repeal it. Mr Lloyd George said that ’grants were only for tiding over temporary difiicnlties. The mere provision of unnecessary work was demoralising to the labourers. The amendments were rejected by 159 votes.

Seventy Nationalists raised an i obstructive debate because the police j arrested Mr Murphy Connell (an editor) so early as 6 in the morning instead oif on a summons. BRITISH TARIFFS. Received March 5, 8.10 a.m. London, March 4. Mr Churchill, speaking at the Chambers of Commerce banquet, said the revision of the French tariff was a matter of the gravest concern to the trading community. The Board of Trade was fully prepared to take steps to safeguard the interest of the country. America’s revisions appeared to partake of the nature of reduction of duties. Dealing with tariffs generally Mr Churchill repeated the substance of his declaration in a recent speech to the effect that retaliation as an occasional weapon might possibly be used. He added “While responsible for 1 the Board of Trade.no utterance of mine shall tie the hands of the country in taking any steps for the permanent advantage of trade. ’ ’ Mr Bonar Law, M.P., said that Mr Churchill’s speech would not long ago have been absolutely impossible from a Liberal. It was a refreshing contrast to the old dogma that only the way to fight hostile tariffs was by free imports. Replying to a deputation of commercial men urging Government to insist on the restoration to Congo State natives of freedom to trade, Sir E. Grey emphasised the fact that Britain as the aggrieved party’ expected Belgium to fulfil the treaty rights upon the faith of which the Congo State was orginally recog- i nised. 1