I am rather impressed by the case Sir Arnold Wil son
(who will make a very interesting, and I am inclined to think, a pretty independent, M.P. if he is elected for Hitchin, as no doubt he will be) is putting up about the Suez Canal. Disraeli may or may not have realized, when he brought off his famous purchase of canal shares from the Khedive in 1875, that though they represented 46 per cent. of the total capital they only carried 10 votes out of 32. hi view of the Commonwealth's interest in the Canal Sir Arnold suggests that we should sell part of our holding to various Dominions,. which could then (accord- ing to Sir Arnold) command 10 votes apiece. The company's articles must.be strangely drawn if they permit that kind- of manipulation of _voting power, but the idea is worth looking into. So are the allegations that the canal dues, which fall mainly on British ships, are unjus- tifiably high. The. three Government nominees on the Board of Directors—two of them former Prime Ministers' private secretaries—are singularly fortunate beneficiaries, for they hold their position for life, and draw handsome fees for periodical attendances at board meetings in Paris. * *
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