BRECON AND RADNOR
Sia,—The reason given by " Janus " in The Spectator of August 4th for the Socialist gain of the Brecon and Radnor by-election is hardly the correct one.
The Liberal and Conservative organisations could not agree on a National Government candidate. The Conservative was nominated. The Liberals were discontented, and no doubt many Liberals abstained. Given a candidate on which both sides agree, the seat is almost certain to be held for the Government.
Vide the last three elections before this one : Jenkins, Liberal, elected ; D'Arcy Hall, Conservative, elected ; Ivor Guest, National Government, elected. In these three, Liberals and Conservatives agreed. In each case the Socialist was
Sta,—I see that " Janus " gave old-age pensions as the dominant issue in the Brecon and Radnor by-election.
I should be interested to know why " Janus " said this, for the main subjects at several meetings near here and elsewhere in the county seemed to be agriculture and foreign policy.
The Government side pointed to the agricultural subsidies, and argued that a defeat in this election would weaken their hand in foreign affairs. The Labour side called for price- control in agriculture, pointed to the Government's broken promise last year about the quota of imported meat, which caused the disastrous slump in wheat prices, and compared the National Government's unfortunate foreign policy since 1931 with that of the Labour Government before it. I only once heard old-age pensions rather faintly mentioned. Was this exceptional in the constituency?—Yours faithfully,
H. W. HECKSTALL-SMITH.
Whitton, Knighton, Radnorshire.
[" Janus " 'writes : The successful candidate on the declara- tion of the poll gave several reasons for his victory, stating, inter alia: "The older people supported me in overwhelming numbers as a protest against the policy of the Government in doing nothing to increase their pensions."]
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