BALDWIN’S POLICY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 630, 5 April 1929, Page 9

BALDWIN’S POLICY

ANNOUNCEMENT IN FORTNIGHT HIGH COST OF ELECTION British Official Wireless RUGBY, Wednesday. Representatives of Conservative organisations in all the constituencies in England and Wales will, it is understood, attend a meeting to be held on April 19, when the Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, will announce his programme for the general election. Polling is expected to take place at the end of May. The “Daily Mail” expresses the opinion that the general election will cost at least £2,500,000, says a United Service message. It will be the most expensive, owing to the increased electorate, since the passing of the Corrupt Practices Act in 1883, previous to which there was little check on the candidates’ expenditure, which in 1880 amounted to £1,736,000, or the equivalent of £1 for each voter. The recent Act limits the candidate’s expenditure to per head of the electorate in county divisions, and 5d per head in boroughs, besides the salaries of election agents and the candidate’s personal expenses, which are limited to £IOO. It is expected that the Conservatives and Liberals, assisted by their large party funds, will spend the maximum in every constituency, reaching in some cases £1,975. The Labour Party, owing to its enforced economy, is budgeting for an average of £450 for each contest.

LLOYD GEORGE ATTACKED

UNEMPLOYMENT PROPOSALS ■'Australian and N.Z. Press Association) LONDON, Thursday. Mr. J. H. Thomas, the former .abour Secretary of State for the Doiluions, in a speech at Plymouth, atacked Mr. Lloyd George’s unemployment proposals. Mr. Thomas said that a politician .ho talked about an immediate cure ras lying, and the man who said a ure could be effected without cost vas a fool or a knave.