The San Francisco call., 1910-08-14
TORIES TRY TO
stop REFORMS
BY new scheme
State Aid for Purchase of Small
Farms Suggested by Brit
Ish Land Owners
conference of Party Leaders on
Veto Question HATS POIit-
icaI Activity
By T. P. o'CONNOR
Especial Gable 10 The Call

lSpeo'al Gable 10 The CALI
Copyright, 1910. by the Tribune Co. Chicago
LONDON. Aug. 13.-Except at meet
tngs held throughout Ireland to obtain
subscriptions to the parliamentary fund
and preparations for some farewell
gatherings for John Redmond before
his coming mission to America, the po-
Itical world remains stagnant.
This is a season for congresses, con-
are assembled in Belgium, the trades
unionists in England and the socialists
everywhere.
From the trades unionist meetings
the chief fact evolved is that. owing to
the prevention Of subscriptions by
unions by decision Of the courts of law
and the consequent stoppage of all pay
for labor members of parliament. the
payment of all members of the house
OF commons is brought visibly nearer.
Chancellor Lloyd George is contemplat-
ing this in the next budget.
TAX REDUCES DRUNKENNESS
Nothing succeeds like success, and
ever since the close Of the session the
prestige Of the government has in
creased. Trade has seen a big boom.
Exports are increasing and Lloyd
Georges whisky tax receives some jus
thcaton by the striking diminution
IN the convictions for drunkenness
throughout all three countries.
In the meantime, Lloyd Georges bud
get is bringing land into the market
rapidly and the tory party is trying TO
hold him and the other radical land
reformers off by proposing a scheme
Tor the creation Of a large number of
small land holders all over England by
state aid.
This is the last kick Of the old landed
feudal system. but. 10 tell the truth,
England is paying more attention to
aviation and yachting than TO serious
politics and all the politicians are far
away from London.
ENGLISH NOW AT EASE
one is reminded by the appearance
and prospects of politics at this season
of the year Of that primordial differ
ence which exists everywhere between
English and American ideas of work
and play.
The work and business of the Ameri-
can knows no suspension dictated by
the calendar or by his desire for fun
and rest The Englishman knows. no
law Of God or man which viii keep
him from taking his ease and pleasure
at certain times of the year and every
year pretty much at the same time
Americans come to London constant
ly with big enterprises in the fervent
and assured expectation that coming
over in the Lusitania one Saturday
they viii be able TO return on the
Mauretania on the next with their
pockets fun Of the gold they have got
ten in London for enterprise in Amer
lea
They are much more likely to hang
around London for months and to go
back empty handed And similarly,
any one who expects political activity
from Englishmen in August or Sep
tember is certain TO be disappointed
more so this year than ever in the
past
CONFERENCE A NIGHTMARE
The conference stim hangs like a
nightmare-perhaps like the albatross
in the Ancient Mariner-over the whole
political situation. People do not even
vet entirely realize all the strange
things that leaders of English politics
have done at this epoch.
To put il briefly and crudely. they
have abrogated, for the time being
and perhaps for a long time to come
free parliamentary government.
While the two houses of parliament
were sitting they were not permitted
to utter one. word on the subject that
was next to their hearts. There has
been one burning topic Of controversy
in the country for more than year,
the elimination of struggle that has
been going on for centuries; the one
subject on which no man can address
q meeting and which no meeting can
get anybody to talk about.
The whole political body is just like
the patient who is for moment under
an anesthetic, unaware Of the fact
that his body is being cut to pieces
by the knife Of the surgeon.
SOME DANGER FELT
There is a danger, Of course, in this
situation which I have pointed out in
? phrase that has gone the rounds of
the press here. It is that you can
! keep a patient under an anesthetic
FOR q certain length Of time. but if
zou try him too long he may slip out
of your hands"
And that is just how a good many
feel about this cessation of all life
erd spirit in the political struggle
But still there il is and there it is
.roing to remain for a certain length
~ tine. If one wants TO complete a
,,foture Of what the conference has
5one one must also remember that
T.,ben It comes TO its decision il prac-
fically binds two great parties, the
house Of commons and all the millions
Of the empire
commons retains full control of the
nroceedings and decisions in theory,
bs,t everybody knows how little the
theoretical rights Of anybody go in
~ononarison with party ties. party alle-
eriance and accomplished facts
similarly the millions can revolt, but
+hev are not likely TO do so and II they
revolt their revolt viii come too late.
RT-DGET Is IRISH WEAPON
There is only one party which is
o,lite independent and which has re-
Fained its own power and that OF
course. is the Irish party
Tts hands are quite free; when the
,ssu1t Of the conference is announced
,,ext November il is quite possible that
+be irish party may find itself unable
- gree to the terms which these two
so+e Of negotiators have accepted
II the Irish party finds itself IN THIS
.as,+fon IT still has the budget as a
Ra,-eenon. having made IL condition OF
~ assenting to the postponement or
s,le veto fight by the conference that
ts,e budget should be held over unui
80 veto fight was either finished or
recommended. -
Nohodv knows outside the CONFER
- with assurance. how the confer
e.,ce IS shaping. the secret being well
S~l,t b,,t it does emerge from the con-