Evening star., 1924-05-04
LIBERALS PLEASED
BY LABOR BUDGET
Snowden Dissipates Fear of Revo-
lutionary Proposals From
Party.
STRONG FOR FREE TRADE
Electoral Reform Defeat Hurts
Good Feeling.
BY A. c. GARDINER.

by Radio to The Star
LONDON, May 3.-Philip Snowden's
budget speech this week created
widespread satisfaction. partly be-
cause ii diSSipated the fear that labor
would make a bid for popularity by
revolutionary proposals. Its imme-
diate effect was Improvement in the
relations between the Liberals and
Labor, which had reached the break
ing point and had been embittered
by a public duel Of words between
David Lloyd George and Prime Min
lister Macdonald.
But this improvement was short
lived. The Liberals. attempting to
reach more friendly understanding
In Parliament, proposed adoption of
proportional representation as means
of enabling competition to continue
without resulting in IN adVantI ge to
the Conservatives by the election of
candidates and minority votes. They
introduced a bill Friday designed to
secure this reform and make it
test whether Mr. Macdonald wished
TO retain the sympathy and support
of the Liberals in the House of
Commons.
Measure Defeated
Labor resented what they regarded
as Il Liberal ultimatum and refused
10 give the governments support.
with the result that the measure was
defeated by d combination of Con-
servatives and Labor against Liberals
and Labor
And SO the fat is in the fire again.
The two parties seem doomed to
live a cat-and-dog life until one has
wing of Labor, represented BY men
like Thomas, Snowden. ClyneS and
Henderson, undoubtedly desire an
accommodation with the Liberals.
out the communist wing is hostile,
and labor leaders are afraid of giving
the appearance of weakness
The Keynote of the Snowden budget
IS Its uncompromiSing assertion of
the free trade principle. coupled with
great relief in existing duties on the
neceSSarieS of life The conSerya-
tives are compelled TO acknowledge
the popularity of the budget, but are
raising great newspaper storm over
abolition of the Mckenna duties on
motor cars and pianos. This was a
war measure designed to reduce de-
mands on shipping, but was retained
by protC ctionistS as fighting ground
for the future.
Firm Against Compromise.
Enormous pressure has been brought
by the motor trade to preserve tn,
duty, and SnOwden is charged with
threatening to ruin the industry He
has had to fight opposition even in
the cabinet, but he has been adamant.
His trump card was that the L.perd.s
would have refused to support the
government if he had surrendered
His choice was TO bid for Conserva-
tive support or Liberal. The former
would have stamped labor as pro-
tectlcniSts, but an overwhelming bal
nnce of the party is free trade, and
Snowden himself Is as uncompromisIng
d free trader as ASQuith.
The writer never shared popular
fears that Snowden's budget would
be revolutionary. having known the
chancellor for many years. SnoWden
began as something of an extremist,
but was always a sincere, responsible,
and high-minded champion of labor.
Snowden is neither a demagogue
nor an opportunist. He began life as
q civil servant and met with a seri-
Gus bicycle accident that made him
a cripple for life. Bedridden for Il
year he studied hard and emerged from
the sickroom one of the most eloquent
platform figures of the country.
Twenty Years in Opposition.
He spent twenty years in the op-
position. Time and experience mel
lowed his outlook and the extremists
of labor have come to regard him
with suspicion. That is most unjust,
for he never shared their wildcat
views or concealed his respect for
economic facts. As financier he has
always been in line with the great
Liberal tradition and his budget is
hailed. with even more enthusiasm
by the Liberals than by his own party.
Herbert H. Asquith expressed his en-
thusiasm by going upon the floor of
the House afterwards and publicly
shaking hands with the Labor chan
cellor.
European affairs are in suspense
pending the French and German cleo
lions, but the feeling here Is hopeful
and good is expected to come from
the visit of the Belgian premier to
Mr. Macdonald this week.
The prospect darkens over Ireland.
Lord Birkenhead has urged Ulster
and Unionists to join the boundary
commission. but Craig, the Ulster
premier, refuses point blank to have
anything to do with revision of the
boundary. The British government is
compelled to take action under the
terms of the treaty.
Copyright, 1924)