Evening star., 1909-02-14
CABINET IS DIVIDED
Old Question of Naval Esti-
mates a British Issue.
GOSSIP ABOUT THE BUDGET
Amusing Incident Of the Income
Tax Department.
EARL OF LEICESTER'S DEATH
Father Of House Of Lords Sire Of
Eighteen Children-Scotland
Yard System Failing.

Eighteen Children-Scotland
Yard System Failing.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.
LONDON, February 1, 1909.
I understand that there Is another
acute crisis in the cabinet over the ques-
tion Of the naval estimates. 1t is the
old division of opinion between the econo-
mists, led by Mr.. Lloyd George, who are
opposed to large extra expenditure.
and those who are determined to uphold
the two-power standard in it's widest
meaning.
This resolves itself in terms of battle
ships into the question whether the esti-
ships of the improved Dreadnought type.
The majority Of the cabinet backed by
the unanimous opinion Of the board of ad
miralty. is in favor Of estimates for six
| battleship6, but Mr.. Lloyd George, fear
full for his deficit, is making a tenacious
stand for program Of four.
The question has been discussed at the
two cabinet meetings which have taken
place. but has not yet been decided. l
am Informed that the board Of admiralty
will resign In body if the economists
carry the day, but faced with this possi
bility, which, If it occurred. would bring
sudden destruction on the government, 1t
is unlikely that the economist view will
prevail
! There is nothing in the pretentious
statement of the creation of a new North
sea fleet. When the home feet was first
| formed it was evident that the channel
fleet would become of merely secondary
Importance. 1t was because he realized
this fact that Lord Charles Beresford has
continually agitated for the strengthen
ing of the channel fleet, and this knoWl
edge has, indeed, been at the bottom of
the personal friction that has for so long
disturbed and d1sorganzed the British
naval service.
| AS soon as the center of naval gravity
shifted from the Mediterranean to the
North sea it was inevitable that Britain
would have to prepare a powerful fleet
in that sea to meet any possible attack
| from Germany. 1t is one of Sir John
Fishers greatest claims to national graft
| tude that he was the first to grasp this
essential fact, which was never realized
| by those who have since continually crit
cised his policy. Sir Johns brilliant
nation of a new feet in the North sea,
| the component parts of which will be the
home and channel fleets.
Fears of Taxation.
| 1t is stated that the budget is to be
| taken as early as possible next session. in
order to allay the fears of the business
| world about additional taxation. The
general apprehension which Mr.. Lloyd
| Georges indiscreet talk about robbing
| hen roosts has caused prevents that re-
| turn of confidence which the improve
ments Of trade should bring. City men
| say that their clients are afraid to in
vest money for fear that the next budget
will reduce the price Of their securities,
and the sooner the proposals of the chan
cellor are known the better for all con-
| cerned. The budget, however. will not
| be so black as it is painted. The deficits
| will partly be met by raiding the sinking
funds, and the government considers that
it will be amply justified in this course.
as it has cleared off fOrty-tive millions OF
lightweight debt since it has been in
Office, besides providing for higher sink
| ing fund.
| 1t is said that Mr.. Lloyd George does
| not contemplate raising more than four
| millions by additional taxation. and that
] this will be raised in such Il Way that
| the trade of the country will not be ad-
versely affected. One million can be
raised by the adjustment OF the death
duties. and the government hopes to OBJ
| tain two and a half million by a tax on
| liquor licenses. The additional half mil
| lion might be obtained by tax on motor
| cars over a certain horsepower tax. by
the way, which would be popular in tht
| country, since the great majority OF peo-
pie have no great affection for motorists.
| All London is laughing at the ridiculous
break made by the income tax people. 1t
is. of course. we'll known that the ex-
cheQuer is sadly in need of money and
that pressure of every kind is being eX-
erted to compel all and sundry to pay
|
own was increased. and 1 had hard work
to induce the assessor to take a more
reasonable view. The income tax gath
erer has developed such an Unsuitable nav
that he is painting after phantoms. lie
has served a paper on Thinker Bell the
fairy in Peter Pan at the Duke or YORK
| Theater.
| Every Peter Panner knows that Tinker
Belr' is only flash of limelisht sent
across the stage. But waggishly in the
program Tinker Bell is described as Miss
Jane Wren.'' And SO it is that some eagle
eye in the office of the surveyor of taxes
has seized upon her name and sent one
of those terrible notices:
Income Tax-Return for Assessment In
| der Schedule d.
ITO Miss Jane Wren of Duke of 4ork's
| Theater:
Madame: In pursuance of the provis-
| ions of the income tax acts, have to re-
quest you to prepare true and correct
statement Of your income in the form on
page hereof, so far as IT is applicable
| in your case, and to deliver it to me at
my Office. duly signed by you, within sew
en- days from this date"
Every one is wondering now what Tink-
| er Bell will do.
Many Mourn Earl of Leicester.
Ry the death of the Earl of Leicester
the house of lords loses its father. the
premier Order of Charity its third senior
non-royal member Of the Garter and the
liberal party one Oh It's SIIldi bdHd VI
peers Lord Leicester has not been in
attendance in recent years. nor seen much
in London preferring to remain at Holk-
ham, surrounded by the members of his
numerous family. and dwelling in the al
fections Of the whole countryside. The
late peer was a typical Englishman. de-
voted to his family, his estate. which he
administered splerdidly. and the county of
Norfolk. of which he was lord lieutenant
for long period. The latter pest he re-
signed only in 1906. after the present gov
ernment came into Office, when his son,
Lord Coke, now Earl of Leicester. was
appointed. BY his two marriages. in 1Sl3
and 1870, he was the father of eighteen
children. most of whom are living. His
death places many families in mourning.
Thomas William Coke. first Earl OF
Leicester, was born as far back as 100,
and was in his siXty-fourth year when
the late earl was born. December 26.
1872 The late peer was in his seventy
first year when his youngest child. Mr..
Lovel Coke. was born. in 1s93-a period
of 1874 years therefore having elapsed. |
covered by the reigns of five sovereigns.
between the births Of Mr.. Iovel Coke
and his grandfather Lord Leicester was
q descendant of Sir Edward Coke the