BRITISH POLITICS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9681, 4 January 1910, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS

THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

A STRENUOUS FIGHT.

United Press Association—By tilect ic Telegraph Copyright, Received January 3, 10.50 a.m. LONDON, January 2. Mr John Burns, President of the Local Government Board, is making an unprecedently strenuous election fight. He declares that he intends to visit every house in his constituency before polling day. A suffragette, throwing some acid, damaged the canvassing cards in one of Mr Burns' committee rooms, injuring a clerk's hands and one of his eyes. She then rushed out and escaped on a bicycle.

"AN OPPOSITION PAWN." Received January 3. 10.50 a.m. LONDON, January 2. The International Arbitration League, in a letter, describes Mr R. Blatchford, editor of "The Clarion," as a scaremonger, and as a mere pawn in the Opposition's party game.

Mr Blatchford, who has recently visited Germany, in a series of trenchant articles in the "Daily Mail," has been urging the elector* not to subordinate the question of defence to Budget or any other issues.

ATTACK ON A SUFFRAGETTE. Received January 3, 11 a.m. LONDON, January 2. Two suffragettes were being dragged from underneath the platform at Mr Lloyd-George's meeting at Reading, when a man in the front row on the platform leaned over and struck one of them two savage blows on the head. The attack aroused great indignation. Received January 3, 10.50 p.m. LONDON, January 3. The Right Hon. Lyttleton (Liberal Unionist M.P. for - St George's, Hanover Square Division), in an address to his constituents, declares that the Government's policy is to entomb the Lords in a mausoleum with an impressive exterior, and delude the nation into the belief that the Second Chamber could under such conditions play a worthy and effective part. The vast majority of Ihe Unionists favour diminishing the numbers ot" members of the House, and making them more representative and more select. He adds that the Liberal policy in fiscal matters is stereotyped, namely, protection for everyone except the British manufacturer. The Hon. D. Lloyd-George, addressing 6,000 persons at Reading, declared that the colonials were watching the Budget with great interest, and expressing opinions very freely and all were thoroughly ashamed of the Lords for the way in which they were declining to face their responsibility and pay up like men.

v Mr Lloyd-George said that he thought the Tariffites were rather glad that their oversea kinsmen were not here to participate in the election He concluded by hoping that 1910 would be remembered as the year wherein the people won complete selfGovernment, shattered feudal, claims, and threw off feudal burdens. Several Ministers in their speeches have hinted at preference for Lords* reform from within. Meanwhile they are concentrating their attack cn the Lords' right to veto. The Trade Union and Labour Organisation has issued a circular urging that jail Parliamentary candidate should be asked whether they would support an amendment to the Trade Union Acts to enable unions' to continue their political activities.