Mar. 12. the result of the London County It is nonsense to suggest. that! Council elections indicates - anything like a revolution in London polities. The Labour majority may be unprecedented in so. far as the triumphant party officially calls itself Labour, but ever since the County Council began in 1889, its susceptibility to the influence of Labour has been marked. Until 1906, when a jerushing defeat of the Conservative Party in the Parliamentary: elections was set off against sweeping defeats of the Progressives on the London County Council, the Progressives ruled ithe London. roost. It had been intended that the County Council should be free of the political labels of Westminster. The Progressives, however, usually came from Liberal ranks and they effected a close working arrangement with the small Labour gran) among whom were Alderman Ben Tillett—former to|dock-labourer and friend of the then Duke of Norfolk—Sidney Webb, now Lord Passfield, Mr, John Burns, Mr. William Steadman and Mr. Will Crooks. Mr. Ramsay Macdonald and Professor Graham Wallas on the allied land subsequently absorbed body, the London School Board, were others who pioneered in Labour's work for London, The Moderates from the outset were under a disadvantage. Their name was inept. They had to carry a large number of representatives not too enlightened vested interests, By the turn of the century it was perceived that the \Gounty Council had become a valuable training ground for Labour. The Conservatives felt that more direct interest should be taken in that body, They reorganized the Moderates under the name of Municipal Reformers and, thanks to splendid work by. men of yn, like the present Lord Mayne, Sir Samuel Hoare, Sir Henry Gooch, Lord Hem Bentinck, and Mr. Frank Goldsmith, they won the day. Their victory destroyed the Progressives and during the long subsequent dominance of Municipal Reform, Labour gradually developed its strength on the ruins jof the party with which it had so closely ce-operated.
That, roughly; has been the political history' of the London County Council. The apathy of large portion of the electorate has consistently hampered the Municipal Reform party or Conservatives. There has been a distinct improvement this veal since the percentage of electors polling has risen to 32.8 per cent, rom 278 per cent. But in 1928, when the Municipal Reformers Jeained striking victories, the figure was 85.6 per cent.' The [Municipal Reformers in 193: however, secured a record ma: Jority and reached the peak of a succession of four triennial injereases in the number pf votes least for them. So there is no blinking the "fact that, after being in power for something like Jo quarter of a century, they have received a serious set-back. The figures now cabled suggest that whatever may have been the factors in increasing the polling percentage, they have not been favourable to the Conservatives. Socialist leaders have in the past played so admirable a part in developing London's splendid system of local self. government that the triumphant majority will not be on unfamiliar ground. Indeed the London County Council, even under Municipal Reformers, has often been suspect to orthodox Conservatives because of the strong influence exercised by. Labour or Progressive minorities over the policy of the Bentinck' dependent" Con-' party li ver. Lord Henry'
lservatism which eventually led to his being refused his Party's whip and Miss Susan Lawrence's conversion from Municipal Reform to Socialism were taken to lbe significant of this tendency, There is consequently not the slightest ground for alarm over ithe results of London's latest triennial confession of faith, except among the purely reactionary elements in political life National Conservatives will regret the turnover, but their responsible leaders—apart from ithe obscurantists—will treat. fas a natural development with which it is possible successfully. to deal by. ordinary political industry.
Once again London has show ti firm disregard of the political
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