Polling took place in the Croydon division on Monday to
fill the vacancy created by the death of Mr. Arnold-Forster. The result was declared on the same night as follows :—Sir R. Hermon-Hodge (Conservative), 11,980; Mr. J. E. Raphael (Liberal), 8,041 ; Mr. F. Smith (Labour), 886. Thus the Unionist candidate had not only a majority of 3,948 over the Liberal, but a majority over both his opponents of 3,062. The remarkable feature of the election is the decrease of the Labour vote. In 1906 Mr. Streaks polled 4,007 votes ; yet on a total poll which showed an increase of 1,125, Mr. Smith's vote showed a falling off of 3,121. Sir R. Hermon-Hodge, who sat for Accrington from 1886 to 1892, and for South Oxfordshire from 1895 to 1906, stated after the result had been declared that Croydon's verdict was for Tariff Reform and a strong Navy ; but he was perfectly convinced that they would have won easily on Tariff Reform alone. It would, in oin. opinion, have been far more accurate to say that the election was won on "A strong Navy and no Socialism." Once more it was proved at the polling-booth that old-age Pensions have done nothing to help the cause of Free. trade.
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