BRITISH BY-ELECTION.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XL, Issue 11436, 29 November 1915, Page 4

BRITISH BY-ELECTION.

MR STANTON’S VICTORY. ANTI-WAR PARTY’S DEFEAT. Untied Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Loudon, Nov, 27. The Merthyr hy-election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr Keir Harclie, resulted Stanton 10,286; Winstone 5080. Mr Stanton’s victory is regarded as of the greatest significance. Merthyr was a stronghold of the Independent Labour Party, which was well organised. The late Mr Keir Hardie’s followers were determined that the new member should share the anti-war views, but there were evidences that Mr Ramsay MacDonald was warmly supporting Mr Winstone and was prepared to accept him as a fitting successor to Mr Keir Hardie. The result shows that Mr Stanton'has strong personal influence with the miners, despite Mr Winstone being the official Labour candidate. Mr Stanton is an advanced Socialist, but is all for the war. He warmly supported the coalition and conscription if necessary. He is opposed to syndicalism and' peace talk. He thus captured most of the Liberal and many Unionist votes.

The Pall Mall Gaze tte says this is the first contest fought in England on war issues and is a complete and crushing defeat to the only party which had a definite anti-patriotic policy.