A HEAVY POLL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18218, 31 October 1924, Page 9

A HEAVY POLL.

THE NUMBERS GO UP. CROWDS WAIT IN POURING RAIN ' (»Y CABLE—PMSB ASSOCIATION—COPTBCGffrI (AUBTBALIAN AND K.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received October 30th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, October 30. In the afternoon the weather changed, and there was a relentless downpour of rain from five o'clock onwards. Nevertheless, Londoners turned out in large numbers in Fleet Street, the Strand, and Trafalgar square to hear the results. There were similar scenes throughout the country. A feature of tlio olection thus far is the big increase in all polls. Wherever there was the straight fight instead of a three-cornered contest, the Liberal-Conservative pact worked perfectly, Liberals supporting Conservatives, and vice versa, thus accounting for a majority of the Conservative gains. But there was considerable accretion of the Conservative vote, especially in Lancashire, owing to the "dear food" cry being no longer operative. Mr L. C. M. S. Amery (O, Birmingham, Sparkbrook) was re-elected, Miss Susan Lawrence (Lab., East Ham North) was beaten, and Mr T. J. Macnamara (L., Camberwell West) was behind on the first count. The results generally caused no Burprise. Mr Asquith's seat was known to be in danger, also Miss Margaret Bondfield's. (Both were defeated.) Five Conservative gains were recorded before 9.45 p.m., though polling stations were mostly open until nine o'clock. The counting everywhere was very speedy. The defeat of Mr Ben Tillett, the hero of many Labour fights, disheartened the Socialists. It was understood that Mr Henderson (Burnley) was shaky, but he held the seat with a substantial drop in his majority. Lancashire results greatly encouraged the Conservatives. • Labourites cheered the return of their first woman member, Miss Wilkinson (Middlesbrough East), who won in a three-cornered fight. The decline in the Liberal fortunes was strikingly shown at Grimsby, where Mr Tom Wing, whose name was once one to conjure with, was at the bottom of the poll. Mr F. W. Jowett (First Commissioner of Works), member for Bradford East, was defeated by a Liberal. At last election the voting for the Sparkbrook Division of Birmingham was: Amery (C.) 13,523, Finnemore (L.) 5948, Hampton (Lab.) 4676. Mr Amery was First Lord of the Admiralty in the last Conservative Ministry, having formerly been Under-Secretary for the Colonies and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty in the Coalition Ministry. East Ham North returned Miss Susan Lawrence for the first time last year. The voting was: Miss Lawrence 8727, Edwards (L.) 8311, Crook (C, sitting member) 7393. Mr F. W. Jowett sat for Bradford West from 1906 to 1918, andwas elected for Bradford East in 1922. Last vear the voting was: Jowett (Lab.) 13,597, Mitchell (L.) 8017. Clare (C.) 6622. TJic voting in Middlesbrough East last year was: Williams (L.) 9241, Conoily (Lab.) 7712, Keid (C.) 5790. Labour's new woman member has won the seat from the Liberals. WITH UNION JACK ALOFT. MR CHURCHILL'S COACH AND FOUR. (KEUTKK'S TEIX3RAXS.) (Beceived October 30th, 9 pan.) LONDON, October 29. Mr Winston Churchill revived :i practice of bygone days by driving around the constituency in a coach and four, flying a largo Union Jack.