The San Francisco call., 1910-12-11
LIBERALS MAINTAIN
LEAD IN ELECTION
Balance of Power in English
Parliament Remains With
Opponents of Veto
At End of First Week of Voting
Government Coalition Has
Majority of 81

IONDON, Dec. lO.-Ihe first week of
the general elections ended with both
political parties holding their own.
Five hundred and two seats have been
filed and each side gained 21 from the
other. The complexion of the new
house of commons up to date is as
follows:
Government oalition-LiberaIs 1873.
laborites 80, nationalists Sc, independ-
ent nationalists Z. total 27S.
Observation-Disclosures 226.
Premier Asquith comes back to the
house Of commons from the east divi-
sion of Fife with majority of $50
Colonel Sprot, his unionist opponent,
increased his vote by 247
The closeness of the elections con-
tinue to cause wonder, but. with only
169 members yet to be chosen and the
certainty that neither side will make
important gains, the public is fast los
ing interest. The country has been
surfeited with politics for a month and
is beginning to turn it's attention to
the neglected holiday season.
Thirteen constituencies polIed today
but the results on only five of them are
known tonight. David Lloyd-George
chancellor of the exchequer, who was
of all the liberals, was returned by his
Welsh constituency with an increased
majority.
Disorders are reported from several
districts. Women engaged in election
eering have been hit with mud and
stones and the smashing of motor win
dows has become a favorite pastime.
Lord Kesteven appeared at meeting
In Stamford last night and announced
n m "a 10
my speech tonight. The party man
ayers have told me that my speeches
are doing more harm than good. They
say the workingmen do not like them
British Elections Costly
LONDON, Dec. 1o.-Getting John Bull
to express his opinion by way of
parliamentary general election is
costly job. In the declared expenses
of the candidates a British general
election costs the enormous sum of
nearly s6,000.0OO. This works out at
practically 81 for every vote cast.
The actual figures of such outlay at
the last contest in January of this
year amounted to $5.600,921.60. or an
average expenditure of 9sA cents for
every vote polled. The number of
votes recorded was 5,645,104
But the real sum spent on the cam
paign is more than three times the
total given in these figures. 1t is lit
tie to be wondered at that the trades
men regard with dismay the with
drawal of so vast sum of money
from the ordinary channels, especially
at the Christmas season.
Curiously enough it is more expen-
sive to poll the frugal and thrifty
Scot than either the English voter or
the Irishman. What is equally sur
prising, perhaps, is that of the three
III IL
least.
In Scotland the average cost of poll
ing the 61135O voters who recorded
their choice in the last general cleo
tion reached no less than S1.08 per
vote. The English 4,s8o.073 ballots
cast cost 9S cents for each one OF
them. But the Irish 153,6S1 votes cost
only SS1a cents EACH
The difference in the three countries
is still more striking when the cost
of the individual elections is consid-
cred. In Scotland the. cost of electing
q members of parliament amounted to
s9.225.60 per member elected. The
election of the $50 English and Welsh
members ran up to $9,666.50 each, a
little more per head than in Scotland
But the 1o3 Irish NJ. P.'s averaged an
expenditure of only $1,473.23 each.
For the $40 seats In the British par
lament, 1878 candidates went to the
polls in the great struggle early this
year According to the official returns
of their expenses, the sum spent aver
aged $4399 for each aspirant for the
honor of being an M. P.
These individual expenses varied re-
markably Some of the Irish nation
alst members returned unopposed paid
out only the returning officers fee of
$50. Irish unionists M. P.'s returns
unopposed, like the MARQUIS OF Ham
The marquis got through most cheap
ly among them. He laid out only
unionist list was Captain Bryan Coop
er. who held South Dublin county for
the tories at a cost of s5.721.60
where unopposed candidates obtained
the honor of being British legislators
for $125 to s155.