BRITISH POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 176, 18 August 1909, Page 4

BRITISH POLITICS.

LORD .ROTHSCHILD SAID SO. Speaking at a luncheon given under the auspices of the Land and Hou.se Reform Committee, London, llr. LloydGeorge s: .. lie had looked to the city protest .....fling for practjcail suggestions, but he found nothing but the old drivel about Socialism, and, of course, "the lliin end of the wedge." A meeting in tlie city un Ist April adopted a resolution, proposed by Lord iiutlisehild, pledging support to ithe Government in any financial arrangement that might be necessary to meet the enormous expenditure demanded by the meeting (for national defence), ami he based his Budget on that resolution. "But, really," llr. Lloyd-George continued, "in all these things I think we are having too much Lord Rothschild. (Cheers.) We are not to have temperance reform in this country. Why? Because Lord Rothschild has sent a circular to the Peers to say so. (Laughter.) We must have more Dreadnoughts. Why? Because Lord Rothschild said so at a meeting in the city. (Laughter.) We must not pay for them when we have them. Why? Because Lord Rothschild said so at another meeting. (Laughter and cheers.) Von must not have estate duties and a super-tax. Why? Because Lord Koths'child signed a protest on behalf of the bankers to say lie would not stand it. (Laughter.) You must not have a tax on reversions. Why? Because Lord Rothschild, as chairman of an insurance company, has said it would not do. (Laughter.) You must not have old-age pensions. Why? Because Lord Rothschild was a member of a committee that said it could not be done. (LaughterJ Now, really, 1 should like to know, is Lord Rothschild the dictator of this country? (Cheers.) Are we really to have all the ways of reform, financial and social, blocked simply by a notice-hoard, "Xo thoroughfare. By order of Nathaniel Rothschild"? (Laughter and cheer*.) There are countries where they have made it perfectly clear that they are not going to have their policy dictated merely hy great financiers, and if this sort of thing goes on this country will join the vest of them."