Exciting Election

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 671, 24 May 1929, Page 9

Exciting Election

LADY ASTOR IN THE WARS Film Star Supports Labour LLOYD CjEORGE’S “HOUSING” SCHEME (United I*.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) iAustralian and y.Z. Press Associatio>iJ (United Service) Received 11 a.iu. LONDON, Thursday. WITH the British General Election as close as May 30, the tight is becoming keener and keener, and the party leaders are working feverishly.

The nine points of the Liberal foreign policy contained in a statement signed by Mr. Lloyd George, Earl Beauchamp, Sir Herbert Samuel, Sir Charles Hobhouse and Lady Aeland, include the following: The Liberal’s primary object is to abolish war as a method of settling international disputes, also work for an early, large, all-round reduction of armaments; to sign the optional clause whereby justifiable disputes will be referred to the Court of International Justice, with necessary reservations regarding differences between members of the British Commonwealth of Nations; to re-establish at the earliest postible time normal political and economic relations with Russia, on a basis of non-interference with each other’s domestic affairs. Betty Balfour the film actress, had a great reception in presiding over meetings at Cirencester and Tewkesbury to support

Mr. Fredman, the Labour candidate. She declared that 100,000 -workers in the film industry would “put their shirts” on Mr. Fredman, who was responsible tor the comeback of the British film _ „ ~ industry. Betty Balfour The “Morning Post,” under headings “Socialism in Practice,” “Lesson from Queensland.” “Fourteen Years of Spending,” “Revulsion of Feeling at Election,” republishes in its election matter a three-quarter column report of the speech of Mr. A. E. Moore, Queensland’s new Premier, delivered at Oakey on April 4, setting out the costs of Labour’s administration of Queensland. The Labour Leader, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, speaking at Bristol, said: “In the potteries I have seen some land ‘fit for heroes to live on.’ If I wanted to visit the heroes of Scotland in the houses Mr. Lloyd George promised to provide I would have to visit the gaols.” Lady Astor, first woman in the House of Commons, had a ding-dong fight at Plymouth. Lord Astor arrived at one of her meetings to find her surrounded by a crowd of workers. She had angry tears in her eyes. Lady Astor’s tongue was sharp when women asked why she had not voted to retain milk supplies for the children. She turned to another section of the audience and said, “How would you like to be governed by these things?” At another meeting she rushed at a union organiser and tried to knock off his hat. . SAFEGUARDING DISPUTE The “Daily Express” understands that a Board of Trade committee has decided to favour the application of a safeguarding duty on light woollen textiles. If the Conservatives are returned at the election, there will be a 33 per cent, duty imposed on certain imported woollen textiles, chiefly women’s dress goods. The safeguarding of industries has become a prominent election issue, at any rate in the industrial centres. Mr. Baldwin announced his triple prescription for British trade as: (1) Rationalisation; (2) safeguarding; (3) active development of Empire trade. He claims that there are 80,000 people at present in employment who, but for safeguarding and the McKenna duties, would be idle. All the safeguarded trades have progressed, says the Prime Minister. They all employ more workmen and prices on the home market are cheaper. Mr. Philip Snowden (Labour), on the other hand, challenges anybody to point to any safeguarded industry and show that safeguarding has had any beneficial effect. He declares he will go further and prove that it has had

an injurious effect on practically all of them. Sir William Morris, the motor-car manufacturer, has entered the McKenna duties controversy with a statement that in view of the increasingly keen foreign competition, safeguarding is essential to prosperity of the British motor trade. It has meant a great increase in employment, also a substantial reduction in the prices of British cars. The abolition of the duties would very seriously handicap the Industry for the sake of a political fetish. The abolition of safeguarding means curbing and retardation of British industry, and thousands out of work.