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Mr. Forrest, a Coalition Liberal candidate, retained the seat for

Pontefract in the by-election occasioned by the death of Sir J. Compton-Rickett. He was opposed in this mining constitu- ency by a miner, Mr. Burns, a Labour candidate of advanced views. Mr. Burns was defeated at the General Election by 3,514 ; this time he was in a minority of 1,475 on a heavier poll. The Labour Party had made certain of winning, and was obvi- ously disconcerted at its failure. The inference is that miners' leaders who stir up unrest after the manner of Mr. Smillie and Mr. Herbert Smith are not popular even in a mining constitu- ency. The recent Yorkshire coal strike, which was wholly unjustifiable, did a great deal of harm, and the Pontefract electors have signified their disapproval by rejecting Mr. Burns.

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