WHAT AN ELECTION COSTS.

Shannon News, 6 March 1923, Page 3

WHAT AN ELECTION COSTS.

By AN EX-COMMONER

The cost of a contested election in England to the individual candidate is a serious matter. The chief sources of expense are printing and advertising. Referring to the accounts of niy last election I find the former totalled £319. This sum was incurred over the issue of my election address to every elector in the constituency, the three original posters I had designed and scattered broadcast to hasten the discomfiture of my opponent, the portrait cards for display in the windows of my supporters, a quantity of leaflels, and the poll-card that told the electors the polling stations where they were entitled to record their votes. Advertising cost me £l3O, which included the rent of hoardings.

Salaries, as might be expected, came to a substantial figure, for the central office and the eighteen branch offices I paid out £423; 10 sub-agents received £66, 14 clerks £63 18/7, while messengers, cost £4O. In addition, my head agent received £IOOO. Public meetings, of which 34 were held at an. average cost of 17/6, were cheap enough, as was the hire of 20 committee rooms (15 on election day only) at 10/6 apiece.

Compared with-these modest figures, £l2 for telegrams was exorbitant. My personal expenses, comprising my hotel bill during the three weeks’ dampaign, amounted only to £34. ' The total cost of getting into the House of Commons came to £I4OO odd, but while I secured a tanglible reward for the outlay involved, my defeated opponent, whose expenses equalled mine, had nothing to show for his money.