E. ISLINGTON SIGNPOSTS TO PROSPERITY .sx HOME & EMPIRE FIRST .sx GEN .sx CRITCHLEY'S WINNING WAY .sx SUPPORT BY ALL PARTIES .sx CANDIDATES :sx Brig-Gen .sx A. C. Critchley ( Emp. Crusade and United Empire Party ) .sx Miss Thelma Cazalet ( Con. ) .sx Major H. H. Crawford ( L. ) .sx Mrs. Leah Manning ( Soc. ) .sx Nominations , To-day .sx Polling , February 19 .sx Soc. majority at last election ( Dr. Ethel Bentham ) , 1,553 .sx IN East Islington General Critchley , the Prosperity and Empire Crusade candidate , has already established a virtual monopoly of the voters' attention .sx The entire interest of the constituency is concentrated on him .sx The three rival candidates have become by comparison vague figures moving in obscurity .sx Nearly half an hour before his main meeting at the Islington Town Hall was due to begin last night the doors had to be closed for lack of room , and a thousand people outside were still clamouring for admission .sx Great interest attached to this meeting , for in support of General Critchley there appeared on the platform Mr. Edgar Middleton , who stood at the last General Election as Liberal candidate and polled 11,136 votes , a higher total than had ever been obtained for that party before in the constituency .sx Earlier in the day Mr. Middleton had addressed a letter to the Press in which he gave his reasons for coming forward on behalf of General Critchley at this election .sx Addressing himself in particular to those Liberals who supported him in 1929 , Mr. Middleton wrote :sx I would like to take this opportunity of stating how whole-heartedly I support the candidature of General Critchley and the Empire Free Trade campaign in East Islington , which , knowing the high standard of intelligence of its electors as I do , I have no hesitation in saying cannot but achieve a triumphant success .sx In so doing I know I am voicing the opinion of thousands of men and women not only in this district , but all over the country , who , sickened by the manuvring , the jockeying for position , the place-seeking of the three older parties , have come to regard present-day politics and politicians with feelings of contempt , if not of disgust .sx This pronouncement , from a former candidate so well known in the constituency , made a very deep impression upon the Liberal voters of East Islington .sx Many of them attended last night's meeting , at which they heard Mr. Middleton deliver a vigorous and well-reasoned speech , urging the necessity for putting vital national interests before consideration of party .sx If the Empire Free Trade movement had been in existence at the last general election , he declared , his allegiance would certainly have been given to it in preference to the Liberal Party .sx " I do not come here in sackcloth and ashes , " he said .sx " I come arrayed in the shining uniform of an Empire Crusader !sx " General Critchley had an enthusiastic reception .sx The meeting was thoroughly orderly , and the interruptions that occurred in his speech came only from an obviously organised clique , whose jibes were again and again drowned in bursts of applause for the candidate from the densely packed hall .sx The more General Critchley is seen in the constituency the more enthusiastic do the electors become on his behalf .sx He is a fine figure of a man , with a great record both in business and in war - he was a brigadier-general in action at the age of 28 - and his speeches have the soldierly manner which despises subterfuge .sx Rigid national economy , Empire Free Trade , protection of British industries , firm rule in India - these are his faith , these his signposts on the road to prosperity .sx FOLLOW-MY-LEADER .sx Miss Cazalet , the Baldwin candidate , declares that she , too , believes in protection and food taxes .sx She , too , has a great deal to say about Empire .sx But of course she has given a pledge to follow Mr. Baldwin in whatever he does , and , as the electors can very easily see , that means that she is not free to carry out the very policy she preaches .sx Also , of course , being pledged to Mr. Baldwin , she is also pledged to the policy of surrender and riot in India , which is the best means of undermining the Empire whose name she invokes .sx General Critchley said :sx " The country has never been in such a mess .sx Mr. Baldwin switches and changes with every breath of wind .sx He is not a fit person to lead the Conservative Party .sx I am accused of splitting the Conservative vote .sx I am not .sx I am trying to unite the British Empire .sx " WHO WILL HELP ?sx There will be a great meeting in support of General Critchley to-night at Islington Town Hall at 8 o'clock , at which Lord Beaverbrook and Admiral Taylor , M.P. , will also speak .sx Other indoor meetings to-night at which the candidate will appear are at St. Jude's Hall , King Henry-street ( off Mildmay-road) .sx Both begin at 8 p.m. .sx There is still work in the constituency for all who have the will to restore prosperity to Britain .sx Workers should report personally , by letter , or by telephone to Gen .sx Critchley's headquarters , 413 , Holloway-road , opposite the Nag's Head , Holloway .sx The telephone is :sx North , 1566 and 1567 .sx INJUSTICE TO FARMERS .sx MARKETING BILL ATTACKED .sx NO PROTECTION FROM DUMPERS .sx from OUR PARLIAMENTARY CORRESPONDENT .sx HOUSE OF COMMONS , Monday .sx THE Government's Agricultural Marketing Bill , as explained to-day by Dr. Addison , the Minister of Agriculture , appears to remedy most of the ills from which the industry is suffering save the main one - the foreign dumper .sx The Bill is full of grandiose schemes in embryo .sx Its object is to regulate the marketing of agricultural products and , for this purpose , dictatorial powers are to be conferred on boards to operate the schemes .sx Marketing funds to the extent of 500,000 for England and 125,000 for Scotland are to be financed by Parliament to grant loans to the appointed boards .sx Agricultural co-operation and education are to be fostered .sx In fact , there is everything save protection from the foreigner , an omission which more outspoken members of the Conservative back-benches , in the absence of a lead from Mr. Baldwin , did not fail to emphasise .sx THE BLEMISH .sx VISCOUNT WOLMER ( Con. , Aldershot ) moved the rejection of the Bill because it authorised the imposition of compulsory restrictions on the sale of British produce without imposing any on foreign produce .sx He contended that steps should be taken to prevent foreign produce from competing unfairly with home productions , and the stabilisation of prices claimed by the Minister would do nothing to prevent foreign dumping .sx From the Conservative point of view the question of compelling men to enter into a marketing board scheme without giving them a guarantee that all their efforts to stabilise prices would not be frustrated by free foreign imports , produced under fair or unfair conditions , was a fundamental blemish on the Bill , and as long as it sought to impose such a monstrous injustice on the farmers of this country the Conservatives would oppose it .sx The Bill was given a second reading by 258 votes to 213 , a Government majority of 45 .sx The House rose at 11.30 p.m. .sx CONSERVATIVES AND INDIA .sx PROTESTS AGAINST POLICY OF SURRENDER .sx By OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT .sx There is evidently a sharp division of opinion in the Conservative Party on India .sx That Mr. Churchill is by no means alone in his firm attitude , and that the meek-and-mild position of Mr. Baldwin and the Conservative leaders is not to the general liking , was made clear in speeches at an important meeting at the House of Commons last night .sx The meeting was called by the India Committee of the party , and over 100 , mainly composed of M.P.s assembled in a committee-room .sx Mr Wardlaw-Milne , M.P. , presided , and among the Peers present were Lord Burnham , Lord Strathcona , Lord Lloyd , and Lord Ampthill .sx Lord Lloyd was vigour itself .sx He asked if the party intended to implement the Round Table Conference , and pleaded that India should not be handed over to a Brahmin oligarchy .sx General Sir Alfred Knox protested against any surrender in India like the surrender in Ireland , while Lord Burnham ( who was a member of the Simon Commission ) took the view that it was not possible to deal with the difficult conditions in India in too suave a manner .sx MILDNESS ITSELF .sx Lord Winterton argued that one difficulty of the position was that administration was a different question from policy .sx Whatever they might agree to on policy , a strong administration was absolutely necessary .sx Mr. Amery expressed regret that the Simon Commission report had not been brought into the deliberations of the conference .sx Mr. Baldwin was once more mildness itself .sx He declared that it was essential to keep the three parties in line over India , and expressed the view that it was possible to break down the boycott by reason .sx Mr. Baldwin said the party remained entirely uncommitted to any specific proposals .sx The form and structure of an All-India Federation would have to be decided by the Government of the day in the light of the situation which would arise when the picture was complete .sx Until then it was impossible to give or to refuse assent to propositions which had not yet been fully formulated .sx Questions put to the Conservative leader , notably by Lancashire members , revealed great anxiety on the subject of Anglo-Indian trade .sx No resolution was submitted , but a further meeting is to be held .sx GANDHI CONFERENCE .sx From Our Own Correspondent .sx ALLAHABAD , Monday .sx Conferences between Gandhi , Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru ( one of the delegates to the Round Table Conference ) , the Pandits Jawaharlal Nehru and Madan Malaviya , and other Congress members started here to-day .sx It is reported that a Congress split rendered the discussions abortive , the Malaviya group supporting acceptance of Mr. MacDonald's offer and the Nehru group advocating non-co-operation .sx The discussions will continue to-morrow .sx CABINET'S ELECTION DISCUSSIONS LATE LAST NIGHT .sx FINDING A FORMULA .sx LIBERAL MINISTERS SUPPORT PREMIER .sx MR. LLOYD GEORGE DEFIED .sx POLLING DATE LIKELY TO BE OCTOBER 29 .sx By OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT .sx The political drama moved swiftly yesterday , and at 10 o'clock last night the members of the Cabinet met for a second time in the Prime Minister's room at the House of Commons .sx But when they adjourned shortly after 11.30 it was stated that no decision had been reached and that discussions would be resumed this morning .sx If events can be taken at their face value , however , the situation yesterday underwent a complete change and there was a general belief last night that the Conservatives , the Liberals and the best-instructed Socialists will , if a general election takes place , proceed to the polls as a united party .sx No decision will be announced until next week , but the best opinion last night in the House of Commons was that the polling date will be October 29 .sx MR. LLOYD GEORGE , who remains personally entirely opposed to an election , is expected to issue a letter to his constituents in which he will restate his opposition but declare that in the circumstances he is not prepared to take any further action .sx Yesterday was a day of surprising developments - the most outstanding being the intimation , circulated by the Press Association , that the five Liberal Ministers whose attitude both to tariffs and an election touched the heart of the problem had decided to remain in the Government , despite the advice tendered them by Mr. Lloyd George , their official leader .sx The Ministers are :sx Sir Herbert Samuel , Home Secretary .sx The Marquess of Reading , Foreign Secretary .sx Sir Archibald Sinclair , Secretary for Scotland .sx Sir Donald Maclean , President of the Board of Education .sx The Marquess of Lothian , Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster .sx CONSERVATIVE SUSPICION .sx Finally everywhere , as indicated above , it was being taken for granted that an election would come and that Mr. Ramsay MacDonald would have a united Cabinet behind him when he took the actual step .sx Though from the stir , excitement , and reported decisions of yesterday it would seem that we are well on the way towards a solution of the protracted election crisis , it would be a grave mistake to think either that all is plain sailing now or that tremendous difficulties do not remain to be overcome .sx The formula may not commend itself to that section of the Conservative Party which has all along argued that , if it is to be acceptable to the Liberal Ministers , there must be a considerable watering-down of the full-blooded tariff .sx On the other hand , the Socialist supports of Mr. MacDonald would prefer that he asked the country for a free hand to do what is necessary to restore Britain to health and strength .sx