Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-18
ENGLISH HIGH TARIFF.
BaIfour Declares Protection Is
Only Alternative.
POLICY OF THE UNI0NISTS
Manchester Meeting Reminded of
Prosperity in America.
LORDS PASS THE IRISH BILL
Opinion That Premier Asquith Will
Resign on Rejection Of Budget.
Nationalists' Opportunity.
LORDS PASS THE IRISH BILL

LONDON, November 1S.-A striking
point in Mr.. Balfour's speech at a great
meeting in Manchester last night was the
admission that tariff reform is the only
practical alternative to Chancellor Lloyd
Georges budget-an important admission,
which seems 70 indicate that the leaders
Of the opposition in the house Of COM
mons at last have been won over to &C
ceptance OF tariff reform as a plank In the
unionist platform
AS to his exact views on tariff reform
Mr.. Balfour was silent, except to say
that he would not touch tariff reform
IF it were to increase the ordinary cost
of living of the working classes
He made a special appeal to his audi
ence by the representation that tariff re-
form would be especially beneficial to the
cotton industry. which was seriously
threatened by European. American and
Japanese competition and the growing
difficulty of obtaining sufficient supplies
of raw material
Mr.. Balfour contended that German and
American prosperity had grown up CO.
temporaneOusly with the imposition of
high protective duties. He gave his party
no special lead for the coming campaign,
but expressed approval of Lord Lans-
dOwnes motion to reject the budget OF
which he gave formal notice in the house
of lords Tuesday.
House Of Lords Useful.
Mr.. Balfour argued that while the house
Of lords was no longer the coequel Of the
house Of commons in authority. il would
be fatal to the country's institutions II 1t
were deprived Of power, to say that some
matters were so grave as to necessitate
an appeal to the people, and he asserted
ma nf tfA
chamber was to see that the government
of the country was a popular govern
ment.
Walter Runciman, president of the
board OF education. speaking at Hull last
night. made the important announcement
in behalf OF the government that 1t would
refuse to entertain any negotiations or
compromise with the peers over the bud
get.
Beyond this announcement all is con-
lecture regarding the development of the
political situation. Some prominent lib
erals still are OF the opinion that Premier
Asquith will resign on the rejection of
the budget. Others believe that he will
ask the king to create a large body of
liberal peers, recalling that the Irish
church disestabishment bill was allowed
to pass the lords on Gladstone's threat
to create new peers.
Irish Party to Help Liberals.
The liberals in the election campaign
evidently will concentrate their whole
attack on the house of lords, in which
they will have the energetic assistance
OF the Irish party. John E. Redmond,
leader of the Irish party, speaking in
Dublin last night. declared that they re-
fused to throw themselves into the arms
of the tariff reformers or to back up the
house of lords-Ireland's deadly enemy.
The nationalists had long prayed. lie
said. to he able to strike blow at the
lords.
The Irish land bill was passed in the
house of lords last night with some
changes in the amendments recently pro-
posed by the lords. to which the house of
commons November ) refused to agree.
The vote I'm the house of commons on
the motion not to agree to the house
of lords amendments to the Irish land
bill November ) stood 10 to -. On
making the motion Augustine Birrell.
chief secretary for Ireland, declared he
was most anxious to come to terms. as
the failure of the bill would cause
deplorable situation in Ireland. and that
an effort would be made for a compro-
mise between the two houses. A COM
mittee was appointed for this purpose