BRITISH POLITICS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9687, 11 January 1910, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS

RADICAL REFORMS. MR JOHN BURN'S PROGRAMME. Unites Press Association By Electric Telegarph [ Copyright. ' Received Ja"uary 10, 10.25 a.n>. LONDON, January 9. Mr John Burns, President of the Local Government |3oard, includes in his programme payment of members and their election expenses, adult suffrage for men and women, shorter Parliaments, and an eight-hours' day. TARIFF PROSPECTS. Received January 10,10 9.35 a.m. BERLIN, January 9. The newspaper "Freisinnige Zeitung," discussing the English elections and tariff prospects, declares that foreign countries have a powerful word to say in the matter. What would Argentina say, asks the paper, if Britain imposed a duty on wool, tallow, wheat and frozen meat, while importing the same goods duty free from Canada and Australia? Would other countries remain silent if a duty-free market were opened to the colonies in London? CONSERVATIVES ASSAILED. Received January 10, 10.25 a m. LONDON, January 9. The Berlin correspndent of the 'Daily Mail" reports that German newspapers of all shades of opinion are unanimously assailing the Conservatives, and heaping vituperation upon Mr Balfour for his references to Germany in his Hanley speech. PREFERENCE FOR THE COLONIES. BRITAIN'S NEGLECTED OPPORTUNITY. Received January 10. 9.38 p.m. LONDON, January 10. Mr Austen Chamberlain, speaking at East Birmingham, said that selfgoverning Dominions were ; not discouraged by the Liberals' derision of the offers of preference. Britain alone hangs back. . She cannot postpone her decisions indefinitely. "If," said Mr Chamberlain, "we allow leaders to discourage commercial union by describing it is a squalid bond, if we allow ill-mannered under secretaries to slam the door in the face of representatives of kinsmen overseas, the time will come when v.e will be knocking at the shut door of the Dominions. If Britain refuses the proffered advantages other suitors are ready to woo the colonies. Italy,, Belgium and Germany are seeking closer relations, which Canada has granted France. If we remain blind to their material interests we will force our kinsmen to make commercial treaties with foreign countries. One by one these treaties will limit the scope of any possible preference, and may end in weaving closer daily commercial interests with foregn countries than with the Motherland." Mr Chamberlain quoted Mr G. Lloyd George's'speech at the Colonial Conference, w". erein he states that the excuse for refusing the colonial offers was the poverty of a large proportion of the British people. Mr Chamberlain replied to this that their colonial kinsmen ask no sacrifice. New markets for British products, more work and fairer terms for British labour were the suresl remedies for poverty and unemployment.