BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9106, 4 June 1908, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

IMJSH PLANTERS' BILL. ißooeaved Juue 3, 9.15 a.m. LONDON, June 2. 'dti the House of Lords, Earl Crewe, of State for the Colonies, ! introduced the Irish Planters' Bill. THE TERRITORIAL ARMY. Received June 3, 9.10 a.m. LONDON, June 2. In the House of Lorls, Lord Lv.cas, Under-Secretary for War, in reply to Lord Raglan, said the number of men required to complete the estabhsh- ; merit. of the territorial army was .193,790. THE FINANCE BILL. iBROADENING BASIS OF TAXATION. JAN AMENDMENT LOST. Received June 3, 10.24 p.m. LONDON, June 3. In the House of Commons, Laurence Hardy's amendment, favouring the broadening of the basis of taxation, was rejected by 367 votes to 124. Continuing the tebate, Mr Ar- • drew Bonar Law, ConservativeM.P. for '.he IDulwich division of Carr.berweil, said that nobody proposed prohibitive duties un imported goods with a view to manufacturing everything ourselves whether we were able to compete with our rivals •or not. He was not a protectionist in the crude sense. The Patents . Act, which withdraws a patent unless the articles were made here, ■ desired to .give manufacturers and workmen preference in the home : market, enabling them to compete (I better with their foreign rivals . there. He rebutted Mr Lloyd • George's criticisms on the German : finances.

Mr Winston Churchill replied that . sinca a patent was a restriction on freetrade, the ; Patents Act was a re- • version to freetrade. He contended that the taxation of food and manufactures went together. The Govern- # ment protested against so broadening taxation as to make it press more !■ heavily on the threadbare ■ shoulders of the poor. OLD AGE PENSIONS BILL. Received June 3, 1.26 p.m. LONDON, June 3. The text of the Old Age Pensions Bill ia criticised on the grounds that . it is introducing inquisitorial mach- : inery and numerous restrictions.