23 JANUARY 1904, Page 3

being as under . :— Mr. L. Tillett (Liberal)

••• 8,576 Mr. E. E. Wild (Conservative)

6,756 Mr. G. H. Roberts (Labour)... ... ••• 2,444 Majority of Liberal over Conservative 1,820

At the General Election of 1900 two Conservatives were returned unopposed, and at the elections of 1892 and 1895 the mean Conservative majority was 609 and 830 respectively. There can be little doubt that the election was fought mainly on the fiscal issue, and the result is all the more encouraging to the opponents of Protectionism in that—to quote from the Times—" both the Liberal and the Labour candidates were free traders, their united votes showing a majority of more than four thousand against the advocate of fiscal reform."