New-York tribune., 1910-01-19
ELECTION DETAILS.
Labor7tes and Sufragettes
Make Poor ShO1Cing.
IBy The Associated Prcss.]

London. Jan. lS--With the exception OF
North England Scotland and the big man.
ufacturing towns. the result at the polls
shows steady trend toward the fiscal pol
icy of the Unionists. but, calculating re-
turns thus far announced. the political
oracles maintain that this will be insufii-
cient TO overcome the big Liberal majority
obtained in 1906. OF course. there are many
side issues such as the cry of a weakened
navy. which have influenced the voters, par
ticuarly at naval ports, and in English
counties where the landlords WELD great
influence more Unionist gains may be ex
pected.
A conservative estimate now places the
Liberal-Labor majority over the Unionists
at between eighty and ninety. This with
a compact party would be working ma
jcrity, but with the unreliable Laborites,
backed up by the Irish when It suited them,
the government would have to go wariiy
to avoid pitfalls.
The Laborites. it is true, are not likely
10 be so strong in the new Parliament as
in the last They have already lost several
seats, and several of their members have
won only by narrow majorities. This loss
of ground by the workmen's party has
been one Of the surprises of the election
they had formed the nucleus of what
promised to be a powerful group Suspicion
that they opposed a larger navy doubtless
had its effect. for a number of other op-
ponents of the governments belated action
in meeting Germany's building programme
also suffered defeat
The surprises which the suffragettes were
expected to spring have not yet material
lied. They have been actively canvassing
against the government, and they made a
strong stand against Sydney Buxton to-
day, but thus far they have not engaged in
militant tactics.
The usual scenes occurred in the streets
tonight when the returns were coming in,
and even a larger crowd than on previous
occasions gathered in the squares watching
the Screens. Premier Asquith, addressing
his constituents at. East Fife, said that a
remarkable feature of the election so far
as il has proceeded was that, with two or
three exceptions. such gains as had been
secured by the Unionists had been in the
small towns of England. The great centres
of industry were nearly all solid for free
trade, and whatever might happen he said
one thing was certain. that in the new
Parliament tariff reform was a political
impossibilty. No craftsmanship, he added
however Ingenious or audacious could at
tempt to construct tariff in defiance of
the opinion of every one of the great CEN
tres OF industry.
Questioned on Home Rule, the Premier
said that he could promise no legislation
of any kind until they had settled their
conclusions with the House of Lords
Augustine Brrell. Chief Secretary for
ireland, at a Liberal demonstration at
Bridgewater, said he thought that he knew
enough of the elections TO be able to say
with confidence that the budget was going
through.
Lord Charles Beresford in an interview
declared that as it was his belief that the
naval question was responsible for the
turnover of votes. he would demand an in
quiry into the last four years administra-
ton of the Admiralty.
Mr.. Lloyd-George, in a speech at New
town Montgomeryshire, tonight, said that
it must be made perfectly clear that If the
Lords twice rejected the bill sent UP by the
House of Commons the measure would be
sent straight through to the throne