Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-13

LIBERALS HAVE THE CONTROL
Majority, However, Will be Very Close
in Some Instances, as the Party is
Not Unit on All Public Questions
Some Of the Measures Which Will
Occupy Attention.

Not q Unit on All Public QueStions-
Some Of the Measures Which Will
Occupy Attention.
London. Feb. 13.--The fact that the
eighty-five over all combinations be-
tween unionists, nationalists and lab
orites in the new parliament, has COM
pletely upset calculations as to the
course of events or probable legis-
lation during the session of parliament
for which the members assembled to-
had been realized it was expected that
the policy of the government on many
important issues would be largely
controlled by the labor party and to a
lesser extent by the nationalists, or by
combination of the two. With clear
majority of eighty-five behind him,
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman can
carry out the general liberal program
without running much risk But there
are questions on which the party is
not a unit and which will cause the
session to be troublous If not stormy.
One Of the first and by no means the
easiest task of the new government
will be the tackling of the education
acts Of 1923, which have been the
causes of so many long debates both
in and out of parliament. Those who
are demanding amendments to the acts
claim that the mandate from the elec-
tors Is clever genuine popular control:
No religious tests for teachers" There
are differences of opinion as to how
the changes are to be carried out, but
on, the principles they agree. In de-
tail they ask for great proportion Of
the cost of education to be a charge
upon the imperial exchequer; the
training Of the teachers to be more Of
an imperial thar q local charge; the
appointment of teachers to be under
local control, but that no conditions
OF employment shall include the, COM
pulsory giving or receiving of denom-
national, religious instruction.; that
parents have the right to send their
children to some other place than the
school for the purpose Of receiving
specific denominattonal instruction at
the hands Of their religious pastors;
subject to this elementary schools to be
opened each morning with a simply
family religious service. In all this
they expect powerful resistance on the
part Of Anglicans, with possible COM
binations against them among other
denominations. In any event a change
In the education act is a pledge to
H. ,,,%x fv,r nNoI nd
the premier in particular are positive-
" committed.
That the act will be changed by a
goes without saying, but the difficulty
in carrying out the pledge to the peo-
pie comes when the amendments reach
tho House of Lords
Other Issues.
The disestablishlnent of the Angli-
can church in Wales is another ques-
ton bound to be raised, on which the
different denominations will clash, but
it is rather early TO forecast the gov
ernInent's intentions in respect to this
II Irish Policy.
Changes in the Irish policy leading
to what the Premier describes "that
larger policy may be expected Home
rule is still far off, tho Irishmen pro-
fess to have some hope as a result Of
the introduction OF a strong labor
party. The labor candidates were sup
ported by Irishmen as against liberals,
they favoring an Irish parliament.
With the support Of but fifty laborites
the nationahsts cannot hope to attain
their ends, but In addition to labor
there exists in the present parliament
q home rule element inside the liberal
party. Should labor gain strength and
elect another hundred members at the
next election absolute home rule will
be IN sight. Modified home rule put
ting an Irish house absolutely subser-
Went to the imperial parliament might
be an outcome of the life OF the present
parliament and be accepted as a step
by the nationalists. and as a COM
promise by the House Of Lords. There
is no reason to believe that labor will
lose the strength that 1t has gained.
In fact the leaders have announced
their intention of tontesting every bye
election where they have the faintest
hopes OF success and home rulers claim
that absolute home rule will come with
the next elections. The greatest ques-
ttOn at present, however, Is. Wdidl VIII
be the policy of the fifty labor mem
hers who have secured seats at West
minister? There are two distinct groups
of labor members, but on the main
subjects in which labor is interested
they are agreed. The parliamentary
committee of the trades union congress
which endorsed thirty of the fifty sue
cessful labor candidates has drawn UP
general program which includes a
trades dispute bill amendment of the
compensation act: amendment of the
truck act; amendment Of the factory
acts; amendment Of the unemployed
act; abolition of Chinese labor in
South Africa; establishment Of state
pension fund at sixty years of age;
extension OF the housing of the work
ing classes act: establishment of an
eight-hour working day; adult suf-
frage and generally for the mainten-
ance Of free trade; amendment of the
education act; popular control Of the
liquor trade; extension OF municipal