Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-27
EDWARDS BIRTHDAY
Is Probable Date of the An
nouncement of Peace.
Points of Detail Will Be Settled at
Today's Cabinet Meeting.
Highest Praise for Kitchener, Whom
Beers Implicitly Trust.

London, MAY 27.-The Daily Mail, this
morning, says the cabinet council To be
held, today, will decide upon points of
detail, mostly of a financial nature,
which have been raised by The Beers in
the peace negotiations. Great Britain'S
decision in the matter will be communi-
Gated to the VereeGing conference bT
the delegates at Pretoria. says the pa-
per, and being the best obtaina BE
terms, they VIII almost certainly be ac-
cepted. The results should be an
nounced officially either Thursday ~
Friday of this week, probably on Fri
day, the day upon which King Ed
wards birth is celebrated. Pence is
quite certain, says the Daily Mail, ana
the delegates at Pretoria are only en-
gagged in endeavoring to gid the pill
for the Vereeniging conference 10 sWal-
low
The Daily Mail says further:
Our dispatches from Pretoria assert
that numerous communications are
passing between Lords Kitchener and
Miner, in South Africa, and London.
The consensus Of opinion is that the
recent negotiations have proved Lord
Kitchener 10 be a great diplumatiSt as
well as a great soldier.
The BOcr leaders are al deeply i'm
pressed with his personality, ana trust
him implicitly.
Just before Parliament rose. after
midnight last night, 4 rumor reached
the Hobbies that n hitch had occurred
in the peace negotiations. Nothing Off
cial concerning this rumor could be as
ccrtained. but the dispatch to The AS
ISOLATED Press from Pretoria in which
it was said that the prevalence
throughout South Africa Of the opti-
mstic feeling in regard to the peace
negotiations was hardly based upon
solid facts, may be regarded rs an ac-
tion that such a hitch has occurred.
Little information from Pretoria has
been able recently to pass the censor
there. That the government, yester-
day, fully anticipated a speedy conclu-
sion of peace is believed to he shown
by the pustponement from yesterday
until Friday Or later Of the budget bill
in the committee. With the view, as was
frankly admitted on the governments
side of the House, Of enabling the
budget to be recast in the event that
peace is secured.
The tax on grain has proved so I'M
popular throughout the country. and
has had such an unexpected effect in
reuniting the Liberal party with a most
effective election cry, that there II
little doubt the government Will wei
come an excuse to drop il. The belief
that the government intends to drop
the tax on grain is 50 strong that All
80 e.. sag.rt.
who have leanmEs toward protection,
met informally. last night. and sent an
appeal to the ministers to dispense with
the tax.
Another strong reason for the desire
to do away with this tax is the effect
il has had in the colonies, where il has
been regarded as an opportunity to de-
mand preferential trcatment-a demand
which will be strongly pressed az the
coming conference Of colonial prcmiers
in London-and which is likely to cause
the government considerable difficulty
Nv cmrhasizing a sharply defined d.
vcrgcnce Of opinion in the cabinet.
Then the Chamberlain party is adj
vocating a ''zollverien' policy and the
retention Of the grain tax, while the
Ralfour party advocates just the re-
verse Sir Michael Hicks-Beach. the
chancellor Of the eXchequer, is said to
be quite willing to surrender the tax
on grain.
The Daily News predicts that once
peace is secured. the present ministry
viii go to pieces in II months. through
the irreconcilable dissensions between
the Salisbury and Chamberlain sec
tons. In the meanwhile Lord Rosebery
is drawing the Liberals closer together.
He has consented to preside at a LIB
cral meeting to be held in London 70
protest against the governments edu-
cation bill. This bill has also proved
To be an unpopular measure and many
Of the governments supporters are
urging the government to modify it.