A BLOW TO THE LIBERALS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9075, 27 April 1908, Page 4

A BLOW TO THE LIBERALS.

The new Prime Minister of Great Britain appears to have commenced his reign under inauspicious circumstances, for in the defeat at the hustings ci his President of the Board of Trace, Mr Winston Churchill, by a Unionist and fiscalreformer, a gr.:at blow has been struck at Free Trade. So far as the individal is concerned, the loss of the seat matters little, as Mr Churchill will probably find some member willing to place a seat at his disposal. The real defeat lies in the reversal of the views ot the electorate as expressed at the general election of 1906. The election for the Northwest Manchester seat overshadowed all other matters political, and the public speeches of Ministers showed their tnxiety concerning the contest. The Libera' party never seemed to be very confident of the seat, though every nerve was strained to retain it for the Government. On the other hand, the Opposition dees to have had much douot about the prospects of the Unionist candidate, Mr Joynson-Hicks, and the predictions of Mr Balfour and of "The Times," that he would win were evidently based upon a clear knowltdge of the feelings of the Manchester electors on the fiscal and other questions. Our cable messages today inform us that unusual excitement was manifested at the result, which was received with great demonstrations of welcome in London, Liverpool, and other cities. It was recently slated by a prominent Cabinet Minister that the defeat of Mr Churchill in North-west Manchester, while striking a great blow to the Government, would not cause its retirement; but ho strong a tide has of late set in against the Liberals, and h favour of the Unionists, that the Liberal party seems in a fair way to be defeatejl in detail at the bye-elections, just'as was the case with the Balfour Government which, during the latter part of its career, lost seat afier seat to the Liberals.

Although attention has been called time after time to the unprotected condition of the Park Lake, and the dangar to persons walking along its margin—especially children —no attempt hag been made by the authorities to erect a protective fence on the Park side of the embankment or to provide any life-saving apparatus. The bank slopes towards the watar, and after rain it is very,slippery. Anyone might easily slip into deep water, and, if unable to swim, might be drowned, for in parts the water is deep dose up to the bank. The Borough Council meets to-morrow, and we hope some member will direct pointed attention to the necessity for something being done at once to avert the danger to which we have alluded.