BRITISH BY-ELECTIONS.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15185, 10 March 1923, Page 4

BRITISH BY-ELECTIONS.

The members of the Bonar Law Cabinet must be somewhat perturbed at the result of the three recent byelections —East Willesdcn, Mitcharn, and Kdgehill. When the British Prime Minister selected his colleagues he chose three who were defeated at the November polls. Three Conservative members, who it was thought represented conservative strongholds, resigned in order to provide "safe" scats for the Ministers. The elections, however, have demonstrated that there is no such thing as a "safe" seat, for the Ministers have been decisively defeated in each case, and been compelled to resign their portfolios. In the Mitcharn constituency the defeat of Sir Arthur Griffith Boscawen, Minister of Health, was brought abput through an Independent Conservative candidate diverting votes, but no such excuse can be advanced in regard to East Willesdcn, where Mr G. F. Stanley, Under-Secretary to the Department of Home Affairs, was rejected by over 5000 votes by Mr Harcourt Johnstone (Liberal) who was defeated by Sir H. Mallabey Decley at the general election. Between the two polls the figures showed a swing over of upwards of 3000 votes from the Conservatives. The greatest sensation, however, is that provided at Edgehill, where Sir Watson Rutherford in November defeated Mr J. H. Hayes (Labour) by 4666 votes. The successful candidate resigned in order to provide a "safe" seat for Major J. W. Hills, Financial Secretary to the Treasury; but the byelection shows that party feeling has undergone a remarkable change, for the candidate who in November last was turned down by the margin mentioned above, has now been returned by over 1000 majority. The Conservatives have thus sacrificed three seats to no purpose. It is, perhaps, a fallacy to attribute much significance to results of by-elections, as all kinds of influences are exerted to affect them; but in the three elections under notice, seeing that the Government were particularly anxious to secure the seats, It must, be patent to even the most casual observer that claims of party sit very lightly upon a large body of electors, and the implied inference that they are the creatures of a party leader who has merely to make his behests known to have them carried out, may be sufficient in itself to drive them into the opposite camp in order to show that they possess some independence of thought and action.