Great Britain

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 88, 20 March 1916, Page 5

Great Britain

MR HUGHES' MISSION. - I 111 VOICE OF THE DOMINIONS. ! BINDING THE EMPIRE CLOSER. | . [United Press Association.! London, March 18. I Lord Eryee, introducing Mr Hughes at the Pilgrims' Club, said the constitution of the Empire ought not to remain as at present. Much had been, done in the past twenty months to bring the Dominions and the Mother Country closer together. They only required to know each other better, and the war had done much in this direction. "We shall address ourselves to the task, which is not beyond the resources of those concerned, with a view to framing a constitution which will hold the Empire perfectly together, giving the Dominions a definite voice."

I The Observer says that Mr Hughes should persevere with his campaign in Britain, for far ahead of the Government and Parliament is the overwhelming majority of the country which is with him. Neither ■ Britain nor the Dominions want a centralised or rigid system, btit both demand a co-ordinated policy for making the Empire a vital organism. Even the slow minority in Britain is doubtless in the mood to recognise that someform of federation is desirable.

THE TIMES COMMENT. (Received 8.15 a.m.) London. March 19. 1 The Times deprecates the attempts to tie the hands of the Government at the Paris conference, but says it is impossible to ignore the suitable movement to postpone the settlement indefinitely. There is good reason to believe that a. firm and united policy will tend to shorten the war. Moreover, the matter concerns the future r«'ations of the Empire Mr Hughe? h making the most notable contribution to the formation of a sound Imperial policy, which stands for exactly those robust principles of national security which the war is slowly' restoring to British politics. Whoever the British representatives may be, they should include some sane and vigorous spokesmen from the Dominions. If the Government think we are going, to meet peace as unprepared as we went to war, they know singularly little of the public feeling. The people expect decisive action and want an effective consolidation of the Empire, and they intend that the views put forward at Paris shall be views of five British democracies, not the views of a little oligarchy of English Liberals. ' A MICROCOSM OF EMPIRE. (Received 8.15 a.m.) London, March 19. The Hon. R. D. Denman, M.P. for Carlisle, points out the importance ot Mr Samuel's declaration that the Government is ready to admit the Dominions to a share of the decisions in a policy as soon as they desire admission, and he adds : When the Government has faced the peace negotiations, an adequate consultation with the Dominions.will be quite impracticable; therefore, the Cabinet should previously have made a microcosm ot Empire by the addition of representatives of tlie Dominions. Canada has as much a direct right to share in the decisions as, say, the Labour Party had. THEDOUBUE INCOME TAX. SUGGESTED ARRANGEMENTS. (Received 8.15 a.m.) Loudon, March 19. The double income tax committee is onferring whether to first approach dr Hughes or to submit a proposal lirect to Mr McKenna. Meanwhile he committee is preparing memorandum to members of Parliament before the introduction of the Budeget, pointmg out that Australia and New Zealand have their own war taxes, and that they considered it would be unfair .or the same individual to pay two war income taxes, and suggesting that the ax ought onv to-be paid.where the uoney is earned. Some members ot ,he committee suggest that a scheme .vhereby double tax payers should be, tivided into two classes—(a) Britishers who have never left England and nvested money abroad; and (b) Australians who migrated to England. It s estimated that the latter pay two nillions to England and the former orobably ten times that amount. They suggest that a scheme whereby the Imperial Government agrees to forego die tax on the B class, while the A •lass will pay the tax in one country, md that the amount be divided between the Commonwealth and Great Britain. It is feared that if some arrangement of this kind is not made the A class may withdraw their capital as they may now be paying more than the 10s tax on the Overseas income. It is understood that Mr McKenna and Mr Hughes are both strongly disinclined to forego any tax during the war. ARMY STORES MUDDLE. (Received 8.15 a.m.) London, March 19. The xYuditor-GeneraPs report on the army stores accounts discloses several instances of muddle, including the' case of £2650 being paid for partly-worn clothing which was found unwearable and resold to the same firm for £4OO. Further, that £4700 worth was destroyed.