7 FEBRUARY 1936, Page 3

The Ross and Cromarty by-election has created much searching of

heart among the Government Liberals. They have no hostility towards Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, but they feel that it was very unfair on them that with the small number of seats that they hold they should have been called upon to give up one of the safest of them in order-to secure his return. They argue with truth that the Con- servative Party alone could never have achieved a majority of the size the National Government now enjoys, and that so far as seats are concerned Conservatism has paid a. wholly inadequate price for the Liberal support that so materially helped it to achieve its representation, which is quite disproportionate to its votes in the country.