IMPERIAL POLITICS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 197, 17 February 1912, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS

AMENDMENT, TO ADDRESS-IN REPLY.

By Cable —Press Association—Copyright, London, February 15.

T!ie official Opposition amendment to tin* Aildress-in-Reply will be moved on the luUi. It censures the Government for proceeding with great constitutional changes before carrying out its pledges to reform the House of Lords. Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald moved an amendment to the Address-in-Reply, regretting that there was no mention of legislation to secure a minimum wage or of nationalisation of railways, mines and other monopolies. He dwelt on the world-wide labor unrest, and said that the voice of labor demanded legislation. He predicted that this year would be troublesome, and full of trials and difficulties.

RECEPTION IN GERMANY.

Berlin, February 15.

Mr. Asquith's speech is being sympathetically received in Germany. German opinion shares Mr. Asquith's satisfaction over Lord Haldane's exchange of views with the German authorities.

LABOR AND MONOPOLIES. CHEATING THE WORKERS. SOME POINTED SPEECHES.

Received 17, 12.5 a.m. London, February 16.

Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald said that 60 per cent, of the wage-earners earned les? than 30s a week, and he criticised the Government for supinely allowing the continuance of monopolies and exploitation of the public. The workers were asked to trust conciliation boards and arbitration, but confidence in these methods was impaired. The workers now said: "We have been cheated so often, and are not going to be cheated again." The minimum wage ought to be the first charge upon industry, and monopolies ought to be nationalised. Messrs. Clynes- and Lansbury made similar speeches.

Mr. B. Peto moved an amendment favoring equitable, division of profits and industry by co-partnership. Lord Hugh Cecil, in an impressive speech, declared the competitive system was a great source of suffering. The system rested on the side of human nature which was unchristian. Nationalisation would only change the arena of battle. The only way to get rid of the competitive system was to change human nature. Until then his hops of palliation lay in co-partnership.

Mr. J. Robertson decl&.v'd Ministers were full of sympathy in profit-sharing, but there was no hope that it would be generally adopted, despite nationalisation. The unrest was very acute on the New Zealand and Australian railways. Fixing a minimum wage over the whole field of industry was impracticable.

Mr. Mac Donald's amendment was rejected by 226 to 45. Mr. Peto's amendment was carried by 195 to 97.