New-York tribune., 1908-06-07
FOREIGN POLICY HELPS
AMERICAN PENNY. POST.
Domestic Administration Justifes
Uneasiness of English Liberals.
Especial by; French Cable to The Tribunel


ICopyright. -sos. by The Tribune Association-l
London. June 6.-The ministers are not likely
TO enjoy the whitsuntide holiday. Their courage
revives when they remain at Westminster, where
they can outdebate an enfeebled OPPOSITE n, but
when they are in touch with the country they
are advised that the new policies are unpopular
The middle class voters are frightened by the
evidence that enormous liabilities have been in
Cured hy the pensions system and that direct
taxation is the only resource for meeting theln
The working class is disappointed with the text
of the bill, which virtually reduces John Burns S
million benefciaries more than one-haf ana
arms the pension officials with a rowing commits
sion to investigate the careers OF the applicants.
There is an obvious shrinkage for the measure
outlined in the Prime Minister'S speech. and this
explains the lower estimate of the cost OF the
scheme than the facts seemed to justify. The Of
cials Of the Poor Board find that aged paupers
now in receipt of relief will be excluded and that
economies in local administration cannot be ef-
fected- Yet the government scheme Is pauper
relief at every turn. II does not satisfy the
Labor party. and since it is not a contributory
svs-er and poverty is an indispensa bic condition
II is pauperism under the guise OF pensioning.
The taxpayers are repelle6 by wasteful finance,
and working England is not attracted by jug
Cling phrases complex details and illusory bene-'
its
The Prime Minister'S holiday, which has begun
at Nunehan with the Harcourts, is sorely
needed as the pressure of public business and
rociaI engagements has been tremendous He
shares with the King a habit of rapid dscision
and the capacity and the driving power for max
ing everybody under him work. Legislation Is
In q fair state, with all the important measures
except the pension bill through second reading
and several well advanced in the committee
stage No immediate changes in the Cabinet
Hre likely to occur. Time Will be allowed Lord
Ffe- z-r11S
breakdown
II is the general trend of the domestic policy
vf the government that iustifes Liberal uneasi-
ness since il is detaehng the support of the old
time Wings and the progressive Radicals The
foreign policy is a source Of strength Sir Ed
ward Grey's mastery defence of the Kings pa
rife mission to Reval has been unanswerable.
Postmaster General BuXton's establishment OF
the penny post with America is also accepted on
all sides as a genuine peace measure, fully worth
what II costs in a temporary loss of revenue.
which will gradually be made up from largely
sncreased business. This postal entente was ad-
rocated by the American Ambassador In one OF
his earliest speeches after his arrival in London
He has labored for il persistently and has has
tened the final result. Postmaster Generals
Buxton and Meyer are entitled TO full credit for
working out the administrative details when the
a-mosphere had been created for the popular
reform.
The French government was moving in the
same direction from desire to have some i'm
mediate evidence of the effect of the good rea-
tions with England when a defensive alliance
was impracticable on military grounds. America
and England have assumed the leadership IN an
international movement which will become gem
eral in the course Of few years, as govern
rnents find Themselves in 2 position 10 make tenn
Torary sacrifices in revenue for the sake OF
cheapening postage and improving the neigh
borly relations Of nations. l. N r