BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8532, 10 September 1907, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

A BYE-ELECTION. Received September 9, 8.35 a.m. LONDON. September 8. A bye-election for West Down, owing to the resignation of H. Liddell, the sitting member, resulted in the return of Lord Arthur Hill, Conservative, who polled 3,702. Mr Beattie, Russellite, polled 2,918. Received September 9, 9.43 p.m. LONDON, September 9. The Earl of Derby, speaking at Wynward Park, said that the reason the House of Lords passed so many Radical measures was because seeing that the Government had such a huge majority they followed the usual policy of not opposing the people's clearly expressed will. He proceeded to emphasize the great and growing danger of Socialism, urging those with anything to lose to unite in repelling a policy which involved confiscation of the people's savings, in order that these might be shared by thriftless and looted by the "have nots." He strongly upheld freetrade in the Army contracts, whereby in the case of meat alone a saving of £50,000 to £60,000 a year had been effected. That was equivalent to the cost of a battalion, and he asked his critics whether they preferred a battalion or beef grown in Britain.