The Henson Journals

[157]

Wednesday, March 7th, 1923.

I worked at my address for the Diocesan Conference all the morning. After lunch Clayton and I motored to Greatham, where I confirmed 63 persons in the period church. After tea in the Vicarage, I went to the Hospital, which the Master, Canon Parish, expounded to me. The House is exceptionally large – 42 rooms – considering that the endowment is but £500 per annum. There are almshouses for 13 poor men, & a separate building for some old women. The total income of the Hospital now amounts to about £5000.

We went on to St Aidan's, Hartlepool, where I confirmed 97 candidates. The service was well arranged, & the candidates were of suitable age, but the coughing of the congregation was beyond endurance. It did literally cut short my address. After the service we returned to Auckland arriving about 9.30 p.m.

Hills has been rejected in Liverpool, where a Labour candidate has been returned to everybody's astonishment. Thus three ministers have been rejected at the polls – an unparalleled humiliation for a new Government. In every case the cause is the same viz. the exasperation of the electors at the Government's handling of the housing question. This is a point on which the female electors feel strongly, and their votes are believed to have been decisive against the Ministers, who, of course, were held responsible for the existing discomfort.

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