12 FEBRUARY 1910, Page 3

The Morning Post of Monday publishes an interesting interview with

Mr. Chamberlain. He admitted that lb o Land-taxes and the Budget were popular in Scotland and the North, and asserted that votes had been filched from Tariff Reform by abuse and misrepresentations tending to confuse Lords with landlords. The Unionists must put forward definite proposals about the land question. As for the food-duties, it was no good waiting until they were asked questions about them ; that looked as if they were afraid of them ; they must deal with them boldly and straight- forwardly. The aim of the Unionists should be to strengthen the House of Lords by a reform of its constitution; but it must be admitted that the country would probably not obtain by any change a Second Chamber which would work so well in practice as the House of Lords had worked. Mr. Chamber- lain spoke favourably of the Referendum as a means of releasing the Crown from an awkward situation, and, in con- clusion, declared that he was personally strongly of opinion that the Unionist Party should not make any effort to obtain the support of either the Labour or the Irish Party.