New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-05
LONDON.
POLICY OF GOVERNMENT IN REGARD TO
EDUCATION BILL.
THREATS OF NoNcoNFoRMIsrs-LI
LIKELIHOOD OF LOWER TAX RATE
THE MACEDONIAN IJPRIsING-IN-
TEREST IN COAL FAMINE.


'lie enemy is not disinterested One is urged 70
abandon the Education bill without delay. and
'he other is warned that the Unionist alliance
VIII De dissolved unless he induce the Prime
N'hlster to accept the principle Of popular con-
'oI over voluntary schools The Liberals can
nardiy eNpect Mr.. Balfour 10 make an igno-
hlhlous surrender and destroy his political
reputation few months after becoming Prime
Minister, and their zeal in stirring up strife
oe'"een him and Mr. Chamberlain, and setting
one against the other is partisan mischief max
ing Mr Balfour has a big majority behind him
IN the Commons. and Mr.. Chamberlain is sup
porting him Loyalty. There are no signs either
"i Widespread revolt among the Tories or the
formation OF a Liberal Untonist cave
slr Charles Weby and Mr Tollemache an
"lher Tory member have asserted that il would
ne impossible 10 resist the claim that the public
must nave = majority in the management if the
voluntary schools are thrown hack on local
taxation and Mr.. Middlewore one of the Lib
eral uniontsts has taken even stronger ground
IN crlticising the Education bill. The main body
ot the supporters of the government is quietly
awaiting the assembling Of Parliament and Mr..
chamberlain is holding private consultations
with his discontented followers in Birmingham
The safest forecast is that the bill will neither
De abandoned nor forced through. but that Par
hament will settle down for prolonged session
during which compromise viii be arranged.
Ihe Nonconformist leaders. who have rallied
their forces in opposition. have taken up dan
gcrous position IN openly advising their follow
ers 10 refuse 70 pay rates if the Education bill
be passed in its present form This may have
been useful method Of emphasizing the object
Of popular agitation. but IL creates ernbarrass-
ment for the Liberal leaders who know that
the government viii he strengthened by threats
Of lawlessness and anarchy.
There is no essential difference between the
no rent agitation in ireland and the no rate
uprising in England and Wales The Liberal
leaders. while willing 10 have the government
harsssed by the religious controversialists. do
not wish 20 BE- compelled 10 settle the school
question on Noncolformist lines. with the neces-
sity for compensating religious bodies for the
school property taken over by the state. Mr..
Asquith. IN of his lucid and well reasoned
speeches points out the vulnerable defect I'm
the bill he emphasizes the injustice Of having
schools managed by irresponsible and non
elective bodies when they supported wholly
ont OF public funds and largely by local taxa
tion. Public men are now az variance respect
ing their definitions Of the leading principle 81
the measure ard making special pleas
based upon private Interpretation This con-
fusion will end when Parliament meets. and the
ground will be cleared for mutual concessions
and final compromise This in any event is the
judgment Of veterans In Parliament. whose
views have been soliciting.
Outside the education controversy there are
signs that the reconstructed ministry is more
homogeneous than the previous one. and that IL
has been delivered trom the conflict OF two wills
which were ever at variance. The government
contract with the Cunard Line, which the stout
est opponents of subsidies on the Tory side are
iustifying as a piece OF naval strategy. would
not have been made if Sir Michael Hicks Beach
had been at the Treasury. Mr.. Chamberlain
favored H. and is likely to advocate strongly
corresponding measures for promoting rapid
communication between the colonies. The
financial administration cannot he changed ex-
ceot by gradual processes. but IL will be more
flexible now that Sir Michael Hicks Beach has
ceased 10 obstruct the development OF new
policies.
Sidney Low. who is a protectionist AT heart ad-
vocates in The Nineteenth Century the recon-
s,ruction Of fiscal policies and the enlargement
Of indirect taxation. but there is no probability
that either Mr Chamberlain or Mr.. Ritchie Is
prepared 10 make a new departure prematurefy
What is likely 20 happen is an educational cam
naien enforced by heavy income taxation. Sacri-
Aces we're endured for patriotic reasons when
the war was in progress. but there will be gen.
eral dtecontent among the income taxpayers II
,be chilling be maintained indefinitely in time or
neare No fnancier expects that the rate VIII
be less than a shilling when national expendi-
,ures are steadily increasing. Sooner OF later
there must he an enlargement OF tarlH sehed-
uIes for the relief Of the most useful class In the
community. namely, the taxpayers with moder-
ate incomes
The most important foreign question is the
Macedonian uprising agitation. concerning
which there are contradictory rumors' lhele
has been no serious hghting. and the insurgents
| are hardly capable OF carrying on even sueiH-
Ia warfare against the vastly superior lolce
msssed against them by Turkish pashas- Inc
.5or,io,, of decisive measures for the suppress
s,or ~ the revolt before sympathetic move
ment can be started in Servia and Bulgaria
No., i,,,ol,a massacre and slaughter Ideailsts
ars n,onos,pg that Macedonia shall be convert
| "A ,rto = Drtncipality. self governing but pay
| ing tr,bute 10 the Porte. but the Turkish Gov
| ernment Is certain 20 resist this plan TOT tue
| deltverance of the Christian state from -,
man rule. and the powers VIII not move ~
| ,ba Eu,onsan conscience is stirred by masSacteS
more atrocious than those witnessed III AT
| menia.
| The ,vonossd Journeys of the Boer generals
/ 70 the Continent have caused heeuless "eaI
| burning in England. where the intrlsues %
| Leyds have always been taken 100 set'ous''
| Certainly the German Emperor is not hAeiy 10
! receive them without sscertalhihs III - -
/ matte wsv whether the Foreign once mere oo-
| ,Ac,s - cour,esies paid 10 the peaeemakers VINO
are now the Kings subjects.
More interesting than this tempest IN 'eapo'
| l. the excitement caused in Hungary oy the
| 80 -, - .-.h5uke Francis Ferdnand's son
| yTrht,s r. .rrhduke's marriage with the Coun-
| -. -.-,,- -. accoupanied by the Tenuncta-