BRITISH POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 137, 1 June 1908, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

OLD AGE PENSIONS BILL.

London, May 29. In. the House of Commons the Old Age Pensions Bill was read a first time after Mr. \V. Rutherford had protested against the anomaly of discriminating unjustly against married people.

FISCAL REFORM FRUITS.

Received 31st, 4.20 p.m.

London, May 30. Mr Austen Chamberlain, speaking at the annual meeting of the Liberal Union Chfl), depreciated the allegation that fiscal reform would necessarily cause cheap food or work for all or prevent fluctuation!) of trade. What reformers were justified in claiming was that if the fiscal system were reformed it would create more work for British people and ! there would be a greater demand for labor, thus bringing about better condi- ' tions in the labor market. I

Mr. Balfour's speech was a strong criticism of the Government's domestic legislation which he denounced as expedients to prevent the losing of bye-elec-tions.

PEER-MAKING.

Received 31st, 4.40 p.m.

London, May 30.

With a view to showing the Government's inconsistency, Mr. Hugh Lee, memfcer for Pancrafi, elicited from Mr. ASquith that 23 temporal and 23 spiritual peers had been created since 1905.