Mr. Arthur Henderson has carried the Newcastle seat by a
majority of 4,884 votes over the Liberal candidate, Major Barnes. This, however, can hardly be reckoned as a Labour triumph, for Captain Gee, the Unionist candidate, polled only some 200 votes less than the Liberal. If the votes are analysed on the principle of Socialists versus Anti-Socialists, they show as follows : Socialist (Henderson), 11,066; Anti-Socialist (Barnes 6,682, Gee 6,480), 18,162 votes. Therefore, even in East Newcastle, a Labour stronghold, there is an Anti-Socialist majority of 2,096. At the General Election the Labour candidate polled 10,084, the Liberal 6,999, and the National Liberal 6,278. This was a larger Anti-Socialist majority, but Mr. Henderson is admittedly a stronger candidate than Mr. Bell was. We shall not pay much heed to the talk of a Labour Ministry being in sight while these conditions prevail. But what an absurdity it is that the Minority Party holds the seat and the Constitu- tional and Conservative Party rejects as dangerous and revolutionary that sound and democratic corrective to minority rule, the Referendum.
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