BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8183, 14 July 1906, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

TRADE DISPUTES BILL.

Reoeived July 13, 8.30 a.m. LONDQN, July 12. Mr J. Lawsou Walton, AttorneyGeneral, proposes to amend clause 4 uf the Trade Disputes Bill, forbidding courts to entertain aotious ngainst trade unions or members for the recovery of damages in respect to tortious acts alleged to have been committed by or on behalf of trade unions. Mr I<\ E. Smith, Conservative member for Walton, Liverpool, has proposed an ameu tment securing to the funds of Emp'oyers' Aeeocia tions equal protection.

MR HALDANE'S ARMY SCHEME,

Reooived July 13, 9.26 p.m. LONDON, July 13. Mr R. B. Haldane, explained to the Cabinet his Army scheme. Great Britaiu, he said, meant to lead the movement for the reduction of the crushing burden of armamentß. With the wholehearted concurrence of the Army Council, he proposed to reduce the regulars by twenty thousand. Tbey could mobilise in war time an expeditionary force of 154,000 men, comprising six divisions of infantry, with four cavalry brigades, ten batteries of horse and sixty-three of field artillery, equalling three army corps composed, roughly, of fifty thousand regulars, seventy thousand reserv'sts, and thirty thousand trained on a militia basis. Thirteen thousand garrison militiamen would be released from duties on the coast defence, thus effecting a saving of £300,000 a year, besides doubling the efficiency of the artillery. Old field guns-would be converted into quick fliers, and issued to volunteers and horse artillery. The cavalry would not be touched. It was intended to dispense with the three battalions of the Soots Guards and the third battalion of the Coldstream Guards, and to abolish the third and fourth battalions of the Northumberland aud Lancashire Fusilieri, Warwickshires, and Manchester Regiment and reduce tbe Irish Guards. The reserves would amount to 122,000 at the end of the year. In case of war the volunteers would be organised for the defence of the naval ports and giveu definite functions in each district.