10 FEBRUARY 1906, Page 14

THE FISCAL VERDICT.

[TO THE EDITOR OF THIS "SPECTATOR:]

SIR, In your issue of Saturday last I note a letter from my late opponent, Sir C. E. Howard Vincent. He omits to state that after his twenty years' advocacy of Protection in Sheffield the aggregate vote for the five divisions at the recent General Election showed a majority for Free-trade. It says little for his arguments that in his division only 821 per cent. of the electors went to the poll. Had there been sufficient time to organise the Free-trade campaign properly, another 10 per cent. ought to have been recorded. It is almost certain the Protectionist candidate polled his last, man; therefore this 10 per cent., added to the Free-trade vote, would probably have wiped out his majority. The fiscal fallacies promulgated there for twenty years could not be eradicated in a month. I do not propose to enter into the Fiscal question here, beyond stating that the point raised— viz., excess of imports over exports—has been repeatedly answered, and was fully dealt with by me during the contest. —I am, Sir, &c., STANLEY UDALE.

National liberal Club, Whitehall Place, S.W.