Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/89

 1899.] Mr. Courtney at Liskeard. [81

serious lack of uniformity ; that the bill should contain provi- sion for the reform of the corporation of the city ; that greater equality in the burden of rates as between the different districts of the metropolis should be provided ; that the new councils should not have the power of appointing upon all their com- mittees persons not elected by the ratepayers.

In the critical state of foreign affairs, and in view of the small interest taken in London government by other centres, both Mr. L. Courtney, Unionist, and Sir Henry Fowler, Liberal, in addressing their respective constituents devoted their remarks mainly to the subject of finance. The former speaking at Liskeard (April 5), reminded his hearers that in 1868 Mr. Bright said a Government deserved a vote of censure which could suggest an expenditure of seventy millions a year,, whereas now the' Budget showed an expenditure of more than a hundred and ten millions. He held it was an advantage to get money by taxation from few instead of many articles, because nearly every new article taxed required new machinery for its collectoin. To the suggested taxes on sugar and corn Mr. Courtney offered an uncompromising hostility, declaring they must fight most severely against any sug- gestions of change which were class suggestions. After admitting in the main the justice of the present system, Mr. Courtney wound up with a characteristic proposal that the deficit should be met by a fractional rise in the income-tax — say one-third per cent., which would make a considerable addition " as well as provide a good exercise in arithmetic.' *

In another speech Mr. Courtney dealt more especially with the old-age pension problem, suggesting that the system of de- ferred pay as existing in the Army and elsewhere might be developed. Under some such arrangement employers would deduct, not compulsorily as in Germany, bat in agreement with their workmen, the fixed weekly levy upon their wages to be paid into the Post Office with the object of giving them a State guaranteed pension at sixty-five.

Sir Henry Fowler at Wolverhampton (April 6) was even more at a loss for materials for an exciting party speech, and therefore contented himself and presumably his hearers with an academic lecture upon the history of modern taxation, of which the tendency due exclusively to the Liberal party had been to reduce indirect taxation enormously to the relief of the working classes. The result was that now the " manual labour class " paid about 45,000,000Z. a year, while "the other classes " con- tributed about 55,000,0002. Anticipating a deficit on the coming Budget he denounced the idea of meeting it by sus- pending the Sinking Fund or by a loan.

A bye-election for the Harrow division of Middlesex conse- quent upon the retirement of Mr. Ambrose, Q.C., caused no change m the state of parties, although it showed a stronger Liberal feeling in the constituency than had been anticipated.