THE BETHNAL GREEN ELECTION.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14908, 23 February 1914, Page 8

THE BETHNAL GREEN ELECTION.

TO THE EDITOR 08 , "THE PRESS." Sir, —May I offer an observation, or two on your very interesting leaderette in Saturday's issue? , Tuo writer is mistaken in thinking that there wae a Labour candidate. Since his own mates sent George Howeil to the right-about nineteen years ago, Howeil, to please Labour, changed from Gladstonian Liberal to Labour—Bothnal Green N.E. and StW. (probably the two poorest constituencies in London, Bermondsey not even excepted)—has never agitated for Labour candidates. Mr J. Scurr is a Social Democrat, a horse of entirely a different colour—a Red Fed. At Home tho Red - Feds, in the absence of their own candidate, very seldom vote at all; never for a Liberal Minister when Liberals are in power. Going right back to the formation of tho constituency thirty years ago, you trace their presence once, and once only, viz., in tho election of January, 1910, when hatred of an hereditary Houso of Lords and sympathy with tho Lloyd George Budget, caused them, in the absence of their own candidate, to throw in their lot with Mr Pickersgill, who, till his retirement three years ago,' had held, and deservedly, Bethnal Green S.E. in "hie , pocket" ever sinco it had become a constituency.—Yours etc.. G. M. BUTTERWORTH.