BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8372, 4 March 1907, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

DISESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH. LONDON, March 1. Mr R. W. Perks, Liberal member for the South Division of Lincolnshire, and a prominent Wesleyan, in a speech at Louth, declared that the Nonconformists would not allow of Disestablishment of the Church being shunted for a Catholic University for Ireland.

ARMY REORGANISATION,

VIEWS OF MR BALFOUR. LONDON, March 1. "* During the debate in the House of Commons on the Army Estimates, Mr Balfour, Leader of the Opposition, criticised the army reorganisation scheme of Mr Haldane, Minister for War. Mr Balfour deprecated the extinction, instead of the reform of the militia. He considered that the scheme places too much reliance on the volunteer artillery, without stiffening it from the ranks of the regulars.

Received March 3, 4.44 p.m. LONDON, March 2,

The Earl of Portsmouth, in a speech at Mansion House, said the House of Lords contained an exceptional amount of talent, and expressed a hope that they will always possess a careful, deliberate assembly above the party horizon. Received March 3, 5.34 p.m. LONDON, March 2. Mr Ramsay Mac Donald's Bill, to extend the provision of meals to school children to Scotland, was read a second time in the House of Commons. Mr Walter Reas' Bill, providing for the medical inspection of the sphool children in England and Wales, and also making provision for j'play centres and other means of recreation, was. read in the House of Commons a second time. NATIONAL LIBERAL FEDERATION. Received March 3, 4.44 p.m. LONDON, March 2. The General Committee of the National Liberal Federation has unanimously demanded the abolition of the House of Lords veto. The Committee adopted a motion in favour of women suffrage by 78 votes to 73.

ARMY MEAT SUPPLIES. DIFFICULTIES OF COLONIAL FIRMS. LONDON, March 1. Mr E. Robertson, Financial Secretary to the Admiralty, in reply to Mr Henniker Heaton (Conservative member for Canterbury) regarding fresh meat used by the Navy, said there were no Admiralty records showing the proportion purchased from the colonies.

Mr Haldane, Minister for War, gave a simillar reply regarding fresh meat used by the Army—that there were no statistics regarding the sources of the fresh meat used.

In reply to Mr Rowland Hunt, Liberal Unionist member for the Ludlow Division of Shropshire, Mr Haldane stated that with regard to preserved meat the colonies were invited to tender to meet every demand but owing to drought and shortness of stocks, colonial firms were not' always able to quote for deliversr> and were beaten in many cases in price.