Landslide for UK Tories

London, October 30 (received October 31 at 7.30pm): When yesterday’s Conservative victories turned to-day into a landslide which represented a turnover unequalled since 1906, all calculations were upset. A Conservative majority over all parties was expected, but nobody anticipated that it would be effected by the practical annihilation of the Liberal Party. The Conservative triumph was remarkable. Mr Baldwin is receiving shoals of telegrams of congratulation. He is leaving for a short rest in the country.

 

The results of the General Election at Home are almost staggeringly decisive. The Conservatives have simply swept the country. Labour, after its nine months’ trial in office, goes back to Parliament in largely diminished force; and the Liberal Party barely preserves its existence. The election is likely to live in political history as an instance of the weakness attaching to expert prognostications. No one ventured to predict this absolutely unequivocal expression of popular opinion. The Conservatives themselves were curiously modest in their outlook, though a gradual decline in Labour confidence had been traceable for some days. The Liberals never had a hope of independent victory, but few people can have anticipated that they would fare so ignominiously as they have done. Mr Winston Churchill's success will only be regretted by uncompromising extremists. It is sufficient to say that he is too able and famous a man to be permanently excluded from the House of Commons, though we take it that his reconversion to Conservatism will not ensure his inclusion in Mr Baldwin’s new Cabinet. It would have been a pity if Mr Ramsay MacDonald had lost his seat. 

 — Editorial

 

For dealing with the stormwater drainage of the St Andrew street catchment area, the scheme prepared by the drainage engineer divides this locality in four sections, as follows: (a) The upper area down to and including Filleul street; (b) The city area below Filleul street and excluding (c); (c) The low area between Cumberland and Station streets, where the levels of the mud tank gratings are from the level of, to 2 feet above, the highest tide, (d) The reclaimed area east of the railway. The engineer's method is the isolating of the four areas referred to. The flood water in  area (a) will be intercepted at Filleul street and taken by 5ft pressure conduit to the harbour. For the area (b) the existing conduits in St Andrew street are available. For the low area (c) an entirely new system of stormwater is required — discharging by gravitation under certain conditions and pumping this storm water when such conditions do not apply. For the area (d), comprising the land east of the railway, a separate system of storm sewer will need to be laid. The first portion of the work proposed to be proceeded with is the new pressure conduit, referred to in paragraph (a), of 5ft internal diameter from the harbour to Filleul street, via Halsey and Hanover streets, and of 4ft internal diameter in Filleul street from Hanover street to York place, with all necessary manholes and intakes and other appurtenant works, including diversions and reconstruction of existing pipes, main sewers, and other services which may have to be disconnected. The cost of this portion is estimated at £30,000.

 

"Hurry on!" shouts the tram conductor to the little queue at the step; and he impatiently jerks the starting signal whilst the last of the queue has still a foot on the ground. To these things my own eyes and ears bear testimony. Usually their testimony is that the tramway servants treat the public with civility; but here and there you come upon a martinet who lets you know your place. Entering the tramcar you may be stimulated by a sharp order to "hurry on." Speaking for myself, I permit this tone to no one outside my own domestic circle. On the city tramways it is out of place. Nobody loiters when climbing into a tramcar; what is the sense or use of a nerve-disturbing command to "hurry on"? I suggest to the authorities that they hurry up to stop the practice before 

mischief comes of it. — By ‘Civis’ — ODT, 1.11.1924

 

 

 - Compiled by Peter Dowden