BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8365, 22 February 1907, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

A MINISTER ER-ELECTED UNOPPOSED. Received February 21, 7.51 a.m. LONDON, February 20. Mr Reg. McKenna, who recently joined the Cabinet as President of the Board of Education, has been reelected for North Monmouthshire, unopposed. IMPERIAL PREFERENCE. Received Last Night,'lo.lß o'clock. LONDON, February 21. Mr J. W. Hills, Liberal-Unionist member for Durham, moved in the House of Commons an amendment regretting that the King's Speech does not mention the Colonial Conference nor refer to the opportunity thereby offered for promoting freer trade within the Empire, and closer commercial relations with the colonies on a preferential basis. The amendment was negatived by 353 to 98. Mr A. Balfour supported the motion, and said an Imperial Council was impracticable. He believed that fiscal and industrial necessities would compel' us to widen the basis of taxation and utilise it in order to gain admittance to foreign markets to meet the needs of the poorer classes, and to secure on a preferential basis closer connection with the colonies.

Received February 21, 7.42 a.m. LONDON, February 20. In the House of Commons, Mr Winston Churchill, Under-Secretary for the Colonies, debating Mr Hill's amendment, declared that the Imperial Conference was a most important constitutional;! function, and it would be treated with every respect. He argued that it was impossible to give preference to the colonies without taxing bread, meat, and dairy produce. The Government was opposed to colonial preference politically, and was equally opposed to it on economic grounds. Taxes on food would arouse against the colonies a dangerous and terrible antagonism on the part of the Motherland's workers.

PRESS OPINIONS. Received February 21, 7.51 a.m. LONDON, February 20. The Times says that Mr Ramsay Mac Donald's facts relating to foreigners outbidding the Mother Country for Australian raw materials suggest a strong argument for Imperial preference, to avert the danger of Britain's supplies of raw material being intercepted. Differential treatment may give Britain, in the event of an .export duty being imposed on Australian raw materials, an important advantage in the purchase of such materials as are not directly required for Australia's industries.

BALFOUR'S .ATTITUDE. Received February 21, 8.50 a.m. LONDON, February 20. In the course of the debate on Mr Hill's amendment, Mr' Churchill declared that the amendment marked an advance on Mr Balfour's letter to Mr Chamberlain of the : 14th February last year, wherein Mr Balfour defined his position with regard to tariff reform. Mr Churchill added: "And Mr Balfour is about to support the amendment, although it emanates from the most militant section of the tariff reformers."

During the 'debate Mr Rowland Hunt (Unionist) implored Mr Balfour to descend from the heights of philosophy and golf, and explain his fiscal policy in language which ordinary persons could understand. The Liberals roared with laughter. So did Mr Balfour. The Radicals cheered Mr Churchill's denunciation of preference.