There are several letters from A. V. Dicey, whom Smith consulted about the legality of the Canadian court's decision that the government could deprive a citizen of his properly without compensation. Smith also showed a continuing interest in the advance of Labour. In June he mentioned to W. L. Mackenzie King his work with Titus Salt's "Saltaire," and in August he wrote Lord Mount Stephen, ". . . the ultimate solution, it has always seemed to me, must be some form of cooperative works, giving Labour an interest." Lord Rosebery wrote that the Budget presented to Parliament was "designed to sweep away the House of Lords and the gentry of this country.'' Dicey pointed out that the "insuperable" obstacle to reform of the Lords was that in strengthening the upper house the members of the Commons would lessen their own power. With Bryce and Merriman Smith discussed the demand for high tariff barriers and the related drive for Canadian support of the powerful navy needed to protect British sea commerce from the threat of German attack. Mrs. Goldwin Smith died in September, and Smith prepared to turn over the Grange to the city of Toronto. He hoped to spend his last days at Ithaca, with a physician "to smooth the last descent".