sold after Whitsuntide in two forms: (i) 4% Victory Bonds issued at 85 redeemable by annual drawings at par; (2) a 4% funding loan issued at 80 and redeemable within 70 years in the ordinary way. The Labour party, with a portion of the Liberal party, strongly advocated a levy on capital in order to reduce the debt, now 8,000,000,000, to more manageable proportions; but Mr. Chamberlain set his face against it as the greatest possible discouragement of industry and enterprise.
Mr. Asquith and the Independent Liberal party, with some assistance from the Labour men, started a not very formidable Anti-waste agitation in the name of Free Trade against the pref- Move- erential proposals of the budget. A more effective ment - movement , which gathered force as the year advanced ,
was that against the extravagant manner in which the Govern- ment was carried on. There was a special scandal about a motor- vehicle reception depot which had been established towards the close of the war on 600 ac. of good wheat land at Chippenham, near Slough, and which was apparently, now that the war was over, being rather extended than curtailed. A select committee of both Houses reported in July that the decision to continue the works after the Armistice had not been justified. Complaint was made of the continuance in peace of war-time naval and military estimates, of war-time ministries, such as Food, Supply and Shipping, and of enormously swollen staffs. It was main- tained that it was impossible that the country could go on paying the gigantic taxes and rates which Parliament and the local authorities were exacting, without speedy bankruptcy. Lord Rothermere, who had himself been in charge of a new depart- ment during the war, was the protagonist of this movement; and his son, Mr. Esmond Harmsworth, was returned in Nov. to Parliament as primarily an " Anti-waste " member. An in- creasing section of the press harped on the same theme.
The principle of self-determination, as proclaimed by President Wilson in Paris, produced fermentation in many parts of the British Empire, notably India, South Africa, Egypt and Ireland. In India there was serious trouble in the Punjab, and a regret- table affair at Amritsar, but hope was placed in the Montagu- Chelmsford scheme of reform. In South Africa, fresh life was given to the Hertzog nationalist movement, and the South African party and the Unionists were driven to draw closer together. In Egypt there was violent upheaval, and Lord Milner went out with a special mission to inquire and report. In Ireland
things proceeded from bad to worse throughout the sian Feia year gj nn fein, who had triumphed in the elections, Ireland. met at Dublin in Jan., appointed an executive, and
pledged themselves to the independence of Ireland. An informal war against all representatives of British authority in the country was begun; and outrages and murders steadily increased, an attack on the life of the Viceroy, Lord French, coming near the end of the year. Meanwhile the Cabinet ap- pointed a committee, of which Mr. (afterwards Lord) Long was chairman, to make representations as to Irish government.
It is pleasant to turn to record the visit in the autumn of the Prince of Wales, first to Newfoundland, then to Canada, and
finally to the United States, each visit, owing to Mace of his charm and power of sympathy, proving a bond of ana e the union, first of the Empire, and then of the English- Bmplre. speaking peoples. He made another imperial trip in
1920, this time to Australia and New Zealand, with equally happy results; but it was wisely decided that his con- templated visit to India should wait, in view of the strain of the last few years on his strength, till another winter. Another considerable accomplishment of the year 1919 was the passage of a Church Enabling bill, promoted both by the ecclesiastical au- thorities and by the main body of Church laymen, setting up a National Assembly of the Church of England, which should have some of the powers of independent action always asserted
by the Church of Scotland, but subject to the supreme Church authority of Parliament. The National Assembly in
l:nantinif . - ...
BUI. its first meetings in the coming year seemed to jus-
tify the hopes formed of it. Though earnest, it was businesslike and not extreme.
The year 1920 opened with the final severance of all direct connexion between the Government and organized labour by the resignation of Mr. Barnes, Minister without portfolio, and of Mr. George Roberts, the Food Con- Mr. troller. These resignations were, however, of small Asguith's
i r +-L r- -Hi Return to
importance by the side of the reappearance of Mr. p ar // a . Asquith in Parliament as member for Paisley. Mr. ment. Asquith's platform was that of a strong opponent to the Coalition, which he said ought now to be dissolved; he ad- vocated Free Trade, retrenchment, and for Ireland Dominion Home Rule. At first it seemed as if he might provide the Government with what they sorely needed, a competent and determined Opposition. But his followers in the House were so few that, after a while, he was discouraged and transferred his main activities to the constituencies, where he succeeded in rallying most of the local Liberal associations to his banner.
The principal matters which occupied the attention of the country in the year were the labour unrest, Ireland, and Govern- ment extravagance. Mr. Chamberlain's budget dealt with figures of the same magnitude as in the previ- J d gf ous year. In spite of the fact that the estimates for ofi920. the navy and army showed a diminution of about 340,000,000 compared with those of the previous year, he nevertheless contemplated a total expenditure of 1,418,300,000; and in order that he might make a serious attempt at reducing the weight of the debt he increased the charges for letters, newspapers and telegrams, and also for receipt and stamp duties; he increased, moreover, still further the duty on beer; doubled that on wine with a special 50% duty on imported sparkling wines; and increased that on cigars. He lowered the limit of exemption from supertax to 2,000; but made various readjust- ments of income tax which would ease the burden to the taxpayer of small means, while taxing the rich man still more severely. Finally he imposed a new tax of is. in the on company profits, and raised the excess profits duty (which it had been hoped might be repealed) to 60%. To this last provision most serious ex- ception was taken in the City of London and by the industries of the country; and an agitation was started which did not rest till it had finally secured a promise from the Chancellor to repeal the excess profits tax altogether in the coming year. The general result of the budget was to stimulate the "Anti-waste " party, who began to count seriously in by-elections.
The labour unrest during the year mainly affected the great coal-mining industry, which never settled down during the two and a half years that succeeded the war. It was but a patched-up truce that was arranged after the Sankey Commission, and the men still hankered after higher wages (to correspond with the still rising prices) and for national- ization in some form. The Government absolutely refused nation- alization, but promoted a Coal Mines (Emergency) bill which should continue the war pooling arrangements and the Sankey wage till the termination of State control. This did not at all content the men, who demanded in March an immediate advance of 35. per shift for miners over 16, and of is. 6d. below that age. After many negotiations the Government made a proposal of a guaranteed minimum advance of 25. for adults, is. for youths between 16 and 18, and gd. for boys under 16. This was accepted on ballot in April. It was estimated that this concession implied an extra charge of more than 30,000,000 a year on the industry, the surplus available to meet it being only about 8,000,000. The Government passed this session a Mining Industry bill, constituting a Department of Mines under the Board of Trade, dropping their original and wasteful idea of constituting a brand new ministry. This was unpopular among the miners, and perhaps contributed to the new demand sprung in Aug. on the Government. In 1919 ministers had had unfortunate dealings with the price of coal. In July of that year they had increased the price by 6s. a ton on the reasonable ground that this was the necessary result of the increased wages granted in accordance with the Sankey report. Then suddenly in Nov. they decreased the price of domestic coal by ios., on the ground that it was fair that the consumer should share in the large profits which, owing
