FESTERING EVILS OF ENGLAND

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 163, 19 October 1910, Page 5

FESTERING EVILS OF ENGLAND

NOT DUE TO FISCAL SYSTEM. BUT TO COST OK ARMAMENTS. AND 'SELFISHNESS OF THE WEALTHY. By Cable— Press Association.—Copyri'dit. Received 18, 10.U) p.m. London, October IS. Mr. Lloyd-George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, addressing the Liberal Christian League at the City Temple, declared that for the causes of destitution, unrest and discontent common to free-trade in England and the protectionist continent, they had to look beyond the fiscal systems. Mr. Chamberlain's tariff reform rendered the country an outstanding service by calling attention to the crying evils festering amongst the people of England. He continued: "I never realised the poignancy of poverty until I had to administer the old-age pensions. Out of 420,000 adults who died annually, five-sixths had no property. Of the three hundred million sterling passing annually at death, half belongs to under 2000 people. These facts betoken the organic diseases of the British system. As to the alleged waste and thriftlessncss of the wage-earners, civilised countries to-<lay spent £500,000,000 annually upon machinery of war. If Britain's burden were removed the country could pay waseearners four shillings more weekly without interfering with the profits of capital. Britain's was a hard, hard climate for poverty. Millions of acres were devoted to those who preserved game, while avarice, selfishness and niggardliness of other people perpetuated the congestion in the cities, resulting in 50 per cent, of recruits for the army being rejected as unfit."

THE IDLE RICH CONDEMNED. THE CHANCELLOR'S ADVICE TO THE . PEOPLE. Received 10, 0.5 a.m. London, October IS. Mr. Lloyd-George condemned the idle rich, who, with their families and retainers, numbered two million. Britain could not afford so large a free list. The time, he said., had come for a thorough overhauling of the national and Imperial conditions. The masses were expecting great things and it was disheartening to witness the sweeping burst of popular enthusiasm spending itself on trivial projects. "My counsel to the people," he proceeded, "is to enlarge the purpose of their politics, and then adhere to their purpose until redemption is accomplished." Outside the hall, the suffragists'greeted Mr. Lloyd George with cries of "Hypocrite!" "Scoundrel!" and "Traitor!" Two men were arrested for striking Mr. George in the face and back.