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This study of the 1973 Local Government Election in England and Wales shows that the position of a canal/date's name on the ballot paper can have an important effect in terms of the number of votes which he receives. In particular the lower-placed members of each party are quite seriously disadvantaged. Investigation into the relationship between this positional effect and other aspects of the election show that it occurs quite generally. A simple model is formulated which attempts to explain the phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines regional differences in rates in terms of local taxes between England and Wales. In these regions, the gross annual rent is used as a basis of the calculation of assessable value. It was discovered that the relative position of a town in a list of towns of a region did not change. Also, the dispersion of the rates of towns was quite small. Moreover, the clustering of the averages in the prosperous regions was the result of a fall in the level of rates of all the averages.

Analysis of data on illegitimacy in England and Wales for the 25 years ending in 1962 reveal: (1) a tripling of the rate with a new high in excess of the postwar high, (2) greatest increases in the rates are not found in the very youngest groups, (3) some parallel with the rise in U.S. illegitimacy rates, and (4) a more moderate rise in premaritally conceived legitimate maternities. An examination is made of various personal, social structural and cultural factors which may be contributing to the rise in illegitimate births. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]