THE LABOUR SUCCESSES.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Few will be found to quarrel with the opening sentence of your note on the Labour successes, but your acceptance of the voters' decision " with loyalty " and your gladness that " the Labour Party should come back in strength pro- portionate to the number of voters who evidently support its policies " seems to call for comment. Surely the vital question is, What are " its policies " ? If we approve them, well and good, but if we do not the attitude of an onlooker seems to be inexplicable. We may perhaps congratulate ourselves that our Parliamentary institutions allow all opinions, however misguided, to be represented, but surely the fact that an immense amount of power is going through the safety valve does not seem to promote efficiency in Parlia- mentary government any more than in a steam-engine. A matter which does seem to require careful consideration is that an increasing number of Members are returned by trade associations, such as miners, &c., and that these Members are practically the paid servants of these bodies. Of course, this is not a new feature of elections, but it is apparently becoming extended in many directions.—I am, Sir, &c., R. T. H.
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