Two other non-Ministerial measures deserve a brief mention here. The Municipal Representation Bill, read a second time in the House of Lords on March 3, allowed municipal boroughs to introduce proportional representation into their own local elections. The quota of votes necessary to return a member would be the approximate result of a division of the total vote cast by the number of vacancies. Votes in excess of the quota would be transferable to other candidates as indicated by voters on their ballot papers. The Bill, introduced by Lord Courtney of Penwith, was the outcome of the work of a Select Committee on a similar measure introduced in 1907. The Government was neutral towards it; but in the Commons it was dropped. The Education (Local Authorities) Bill, read a second time in the Commons by 196 to 58 on March 6, reproduced the delegation clauses of the Education Bill of 1906 as. ultimately accepted by the House of Lords. County Councils in England and Wales, where the population under them was above 65,000, were to prepare schemes for the delegation to local committees, after public local inquiry, of some of their powers in respect of elementary education. It was supported by members on both sides as stimulating local interest in education, opposed as introducing administrative complications and increasing expense, and accepted in principle by the Government; and it was amended both by a Standing Committee and on Report, but was crowded out in the autumn session. Meanwhile, the Hastings election (March 3) had shown the growing strength of the Tariff Reformers; and the need of combating them by the formulation of a "great trade policy" had been urged by Mr. Lloyd-George at the Queen's Hall on February 28. An attempt had been also made in the House of Commons to expose the arguments based on the high price of bread during the Mid-Devon and Worcester elections. On March 4 Sir Joseph Leese (Accrington, N.E. Lancs) moved a resolution that the recent high price of bread was due solely to natural causes, and that an import duty on wheat would further aggravate it. Recent Unionist speeches and leaflets, he showed, had laid the responsibility on the Government, in that they had not stimulated Canadian production by Colonial preference. An amendment, moved by Mr. Goulding, the newly elected member for Worcester, attributed the rise to natural causes and to the neglect of British resources, and advocated a "rearrangement of duties on food products" in accordance with the Tariff Reformers' views. The mover and Earl Winterton (Horsham, Sussex) (formerly Viscount Turnour) contended that in France, which was enabled by Protection to produce all its own wheat, the price was nearly the same as in the United Kingdom. This, Mr. Lloyd-George showed, was due to an exceptional harvest; normally, the French price was 68. to 10s. above the British, and the 4 lb. loaf was at that moment ld. dearer in Paris than in London. He ridiculed the D idea that any English farmer would break up his grass land for a 2s; duty. The debate was animated throughout, and the amendment was rejected by 293 to 90; but Mr. Corbett (Down, N.), a Unionist, rose to continue the debate, and so, amid derisive Liberal cheers, prevented a division on the resolution, as the proceedings were cut short by the 11 o'clock rule. The Tariff Reformers renewed the academic contest subsequently on another issue (March 24). The essential work of Parliament before Easter, however, is to discuss the Army and Navy Estimates. Both, with the usual official explanations-which this year were affected by the coming debate on the reduction of armaments-had been issued on February 24. The total of the Army Estimates was 27,459,000l., showing a reduction of 2,354,000l. as compared with 1905-6. The average annual expenditure on Army loans for the three years ending with 1908-9 was not expected to exceed 430,000l.; for the three years ending with 1905-6 it had been 2,539,000l. The total saving since the Liberal Government took office was therefore not far from 4,500,0007. The accompanying memorandum by the War Minister, which was of unusual significance, included an elaborate explanation of the impossibility of any rapid reduction of British military expenditure. It pointed out that the peace establishment was determined by the needs of maintenance of our garrisons abroad and our power to reinforce them, and that sudden reductions in an army of which all the parts were interdependent were impracticable, or, if attempted, would be followed by violent reactions. Military expenditure depended on military policy. From 1815 till 1862 the Army had been dispersed throughout the Empire, with various unsatisfactory results. In 1862 some sort of equality was arranged between the home establishments and those abroad. Hence, ultimately, the Cardwell system, which the Government in 1906 had decided to develop. Mr. Haldane sketched the results of their reorganisation. The first line of regular troops was moulded into six large divisions and five cavalry brigades, with army troops and other services in proper proportion, backed by the framework of a new Special Reserve, intended to provide for wastage in war, to man, in part, the ammunition columns (hitherto defective), and to supplement the various ancillary Services. This Reserve had been provided by bringing the Militia into close touch with the Regular Army under the Army Order of December 23, 1907. The second line, formed by a reorganisation of the Yeomanry and the Volunteers into the Territorial Army, on the same pattern as the first line, was intended to compel an enemy to invade with so large a force as to be unable to evade the British fleets, and to relieve the Regular Army during war from home defence. Considerable reduction in expenditure was only feasible by bringing troops home, and one cavalry regiment and four infantry battalions would be brought from South Africa, though the decision had been taken too late to affect the Estimates. The best hope of economy lay in development on scientific lines of the new organisation, and in rigidly applying concentration, where possible. Mr. Haldane next showed, by comparing the expenditure proposed for 1908-9 with that of ten years earlier, that an early return to the pre-South African war figures was almost impossible. He then dealt with the establishments of the first line, and the progress made in organising the Territorial Force. The ninety-three County Associations had been incorporated before January 31; they were adapting a scheme drafted by the general staff; commanding officers were being appointed, provisional establishments had been laid down, and a training scheme drawn up. The terms of service and scales of pay and allowances had been settled, the artillery was being delivered, and the Auxiliary Forces Department at the War Office adapted to the change. Votes. The following is an abstract of the Army Estimates. 185,000 9,422,000 451,000 840,000 2,005,000 I.-Numbers. 1908-9. Total Number of men on the Home Numbers. and Colonial Establishments 1907-8. Increase. Decrease. Total A Numbers. Numbers. Numbers. 1234 190,000 460,000 5,000 £ 413,000 9,000 4 1,152,000 } 443,000 A note explained that in consequence of certain transfers of items chiefly connected with the Ordnance Survey, to the Navy and Civil Service Estimates, the Army Estimates were less by 18,2007. than they would otherwise have been. Repayments by Government of India included as Appropriations To meet the Expenditure for Raising and Training Recruits For Deferred Pay and Gratuities for Service on the Indian For Non-Effective Services of the European Army serving Deduct-Contribution from Army Funds towards Cost of Total The Navy Estimates for 1908-9 amounted to 32,912,000l., an increase of 900,000l. on those of 1907-8, though it was explained in the First Lord's memorandum that the actual excess of expenditure would only be 13,9847. In spite of the moderate building programme, a variety of causes combined to increase expenditure. The redundancy of stores due to the reforms of 1905 was nearly ended; and there were various automatic and uncontrollable increases in pay, in prices, and otherwise. New construction would cost 7,545,2027. for the year as against 11,654,1767. in 1904-5. Of this 750,000l. was to be spent on beginning ships of the new programme: one improved Dreadnought, one large armoured cruiser, six fast protected cruisers, sixteen destroyers, and submarines estimated to cost 500,000. Whether and how far this programme would be enlarged in 1909-10 must depend on the additions made to their fleets by foreign Powers. The Government had every intention of maintaining the standard hitherto deemed necessary for the safeguarding of our national and Imperial interests. Between April 1, 1907, and March 31, 1908, the ships completed and available for service comprised one battleship, three armoured cruisers, three destroyers, ten coastal-destroyer torpedo boats, eight submarines, the repair ship Cyclops, and the new Royal Yacht Alexandra; and there were under construction seven battleships, four armoured cruisers, one unarmoured cruiser, ten destroyers, twenty coastal-destroyer torpedo boats and eighteen submarines. Mention was made of the cooling apparatus, costing 500,000l., fitted to cordite magazines on shipboard; the nucleus crew system was commended, and it was declared that the Admiralty had abundant war plans, and attention was called to the efficiency of the gunnery and signalling. The new training of officers was stated to be satisfactory. The supply of guns and ammunition to the fleet was now under the direct control and responsibility of the Admiralty. The Malta fever, long prevalent among the crews of the Mediterranean squadron, had been traced to goats' milk, and got rid of. No change would be made as to coastguard administration during the year. Reference was made to the establishment of the Year. 1901-2 1902-3 1903-4 1904-5 1905-6 1906-7 1907-8 (est.) 1908-9 (est.) £ £ £ £ Expendi. ture on New Construction Vote (8). £ 8,865,080 8,534,917 £ 30,981,315 122,255 30,859,060 2,745,176 33,604,236 31,003,977 297,895 30,706,082 3,198,017 33,904,099 35,709,477 502,010 35,207,467 3,261,083 38,468,550 11,115,733 36,859,681 634,238 36,225,443 3,402,575 39,628,018 11,263,019 33,151,841 1,015,812 32,136,029 3,313,604 35,449,633 31,472,087 1,094,309 30,377,778 2,431,201 32,808,979 31,419,500 1,214,402 30,205,098 1,135,000 31,340,098 32,319,500 1,264,032 31,055,468 896,925 31,952,393 9,688,044 8,861,897 8,100,000 7,545,202 A note stated that the Estimates for 1908-9 included under Votes 8, 10 and 12, 390,6617. for services provided for before April 1, 1907, by funds raised under the Naval Works Acts, 1895 to 1905; and that Stores in stock would be drawn on without replacement to the estimated extent of 506,1507. |