* * By-Election Morals The moral of the two by-elections
of the past week, Basingstoke and Hammersmith, is substantially the same. There is an almost exact reversion to the 1929 position. That is particularly true at Basingstoke, with the excep- tion that the Liberal candidate, Mr. John Foot, excellent fight though he put up, was still left with 2,000 less than the Liberal vote of 1929. At Hammersmith both the Labour and Conservative figures were down on 1929, the total polled being smaller, but the majority was very much the same. If conclusions are to be drawn, therefore, from these two elections—which they should not be without many reservations—it would appear that the tide which carried a National Government to power in 1931 has spent its force, and an appeal to the whole country might create something very like the extremely un- satisfactory position of 1929, when no party had a clear majority in the House. * * * *
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