THE COST OF A GENERAL ELECTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7951, 29 January 1906, Page 7

THE COST OF A GENERAL ELECTION.

A boat £4,000.000, it is said, will -change bunds in expenses for the general election now taking place in threat Britain. One million pounds is the estimate of one of the leading agents and electioneers on the Liberal side for "official" expenses •alqne. It may be greater, and it cannot be less, for an election in winter comes at an unpropitious season for economical working Party organisation and the cost of organisation generally, neither of which has to be included in the f •official returns, bring the approxi|J_ mate cost of the election to four million pounds. Nearly 4,000 agents or sub-agents will'safeguard their candidates' interests in the'eleotion. They will be paid fees varying from tea guineas to £2OO, the average probably being about £IOO. Oouu tieß are, of oourae, more costly to tight than boroughs and tne maximum of expenditure allowed under the Corrupt Practices Act is consequently greater than in the boroughs. One thousand pounds, for instance, is the maximum allowed for expenses 4a a country constituency where there are 8,000 voters on the register. In a borough of the same size the amount is only £530, in each case exclusive of returning officers' 'lees. Irish Beats are cheaper per bead than Knelish ones. On an average English votes cost from 3s 8d to 4s 2d, Scottish votes 4s Bd, and I Jrisb votes only 2a Bd. Eleotors now A '■ on the register number nearly , "7,000,000. Of this number probably 5,000,000 will actually record their votes. It will be seen from this how the candidates 1 total of £1,000,000 is arrived at. Certain divisions enjo l an unpleasant notoriety at headquarters on account of their expensive character. Orkney and Shetland is one of them, and Mr Gatbcart Wason, the present member, had to pay 14s 5d per vote for the privilege of repre seating this Scottish constituency in Parliament. Ronford is another coatly seat, and at the last general election the expenses of Mr Louis Sinclair, the successful Unionist candidate, came to £2,100, while those of his adversary were about the same amount. Mr Keir Hardie is one of the most economical of candidates, a shilling a vote being liia modest record for Merthyr Tydfil. Mr Chaplin's last,election cost him 5a lid for every vote recorded for him.