BRITISH POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 195, 22 September 1909, Page 2

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE PREMIER'S SPEECH CRITICISED. "A PIRATICAL CREW." By Cable.—Pross Association.—Copyright London, September 20. The Duke of Rutland, addressing a meeting of Derbyshire Unionists,' said Mr. Asquith's speech at Birmingham was couched in the most moderate language, differing in that respect from other Lilieral leaders, hut was an ine'fectual answer to criticism. Mr. A«quith was in the position of a father with a large family of extremely ill'behaved, unruly children. He was unable to explain'away Mr. Lloyd-George'a and Mr. Winston Churchill's outrageuus misrepresentations. The Duke of Rutland added: "The country is not sn'c from the pirate crew of tatterdemalions who tried to hide the red flag of socialism under the ensign of order and nob!er liberalism."

LABOR AXD THE BUDGE!'. ' London, September 20. Air. Keir Hnrilic, tipeakiiig at Saltley, said the ljulior Party is supporting the Budget as the first in its ideal, namely, the absorption by the community for the community's use of all unearned Hi comes whether they be derived from la miis or capital.

DEFECTION 'FROM THE LIBERALS. London, September 20. l[r. Alfred Pease, ex-member of the House of Commons for Cleveland, nas withdrawn his support to the Liberal Party owing to its soeial and financial policy. IRISH TENANTS. London, September 20. i Under the Wyndham Act, 2103 evicted persons were reinstated or given fresh holdings, 5453 applications were rejected, whilst 3000 have not yet been dealt with.

THE LIBERAL LEAGUE. LORD ROSEBERY'S ADVICE. Received September 21, 10.5 p.m. London, September 21. Lord Roscbcry attended a meeting of the Executive of the Liberal League. It is understood he advised the League's dissolution. He declared that this sJhould have been done after the general election, when it would have saved Hie Liberal party from committing itself in conneetion with the Im'perialistic policy and s e»'ired the return of (10 to 70 members.

The meeting referred the decision to tlic council of the League. THE FINANCE BILL. MAKING PROGRESS. MEETING THE BUTTER CLASS 01' LANDLORDS. Received 21, 0.10 a.m. London, September 21. In the House of Commons, after a twelve-hour sitting, the income tux clauses of the Finance Bill were carried. Mr. Lloyd-George (Chancellor of fie Exchequer) admitted that the assessment under schedule A pressed unfairly upon the better class of landlords. Though he was unable to assess the landlords unjler schedule D, Mr. LloydGeorge announced that landlords, providing they actually spent money on their estates, would he allowed to clam for a refund up to 25 per cent, of the gross income upon which they were assessed.

Hitherto owners have been allowed to deduct from their gross revenue onesixth in respect ot houses, and on-.-eighth in respect of farms, on account of repairs and maintenance. This continues, but an owner spending more will be entitled to a further refund.

Mr, Lloyd-George estimated that the concession will cost half a million. He added that far from underestimating the total, revenue for the coming year he had over-estimated ft.

Mr. Lloyd George had something to say recently by way of demonstrating that -what was regarded as confiscation from one point of view was considered a perfectly moral and legitimate operation when performed by a noble lord. He instanced what he described as tha famous Gorringc case. "Mr. Gorringe had a lease of the premises on a few . hundred of pounds a year ground rent. He built up a great business there. The end of the lease came, and he went to the Duke of Westminster and said, 'Will you renew my leaser I want to carry on my business here.' He said, 'Yes, I will, but I will do it on condition that the few hundreds a year you pay tor ground rent shall in future be four thousand a year.' And in addition to that , be had to pay a fine of £50,000. And he had built huge premises, at enorm nis expense, according to plans submittal to the Duke of Westminster. All I can ; say is this: If it' is .confiscation and 1 robbery for us to say to the Duke tha'.. being in need of money for public purposes, "we will take 10 per cent, of all you got for that purpose, what would you call his taking nine-tenths from Mr. Gorringe? Well, now, those are the eases which we have got to deal with. Look at all this leasehold system. A case like that is not business, it is blackmail. When the Prime Minister and I knock at the doors of these great landlords they scowl at us. We say, 'Only a halfpenny, just a copper.' Ai.a they say, Ton thieves!' And they tun. their dogs on to us, and you can hear their bark every .morning." I n the light of Mr. Lloyd George's concise explanation of the taxation proposals Lord Rosebery's alarming bogey shrinks to ludicrous proportions, and the assumption is justified that" the Lord Advocate of Scotland more correctly stated the position when ho declared that the Budget was "only a just and fair method to secure the necessary millions."