GREAT BRITAIN YER PAYS YER MONEY, YER TYKES YER CHOICE PSEPHOLOGY, AS 
GUESSING ELECTIONS IS CALLED IN BRITAIN, IS ABOUT AS INEXACT AN 
ART AS PLAYING THE FOOTBALL POOLS . FACED WITH A GENERAL 
ELECTION THIS YEAR OR NEXT, THE EXPERTS LAST WEEK STUDIED A 
RICH CROP OF AUGURIES WITH UNUSUAL DILIGENCE AND THE USUAL RESULTS 
: THEY DISAGREED . CERTAINLY, THERE WAS LITTLE TO ENCOURAGE PRIME 
MINISTER HAROLD MACMILLAN'S CONSERVATIVES IN THE OUTCOME OF 401 LOCAL BOROUGH 
ELECTIONS . WITH 2,973 SEATS AT STAKE, THE TORIES LOST A 
TOTAL OF 550 ; THE LABOR PARTY GAINED 544, WINNING CONTROL 
OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN SUCH MAJOR CITIES AS LEICESTER, LIVERPOOL, BRADFORD, 
BRISTOL AND NOTTINGHAM . LABOR OFFICIALS CLAIMED THAT IF A GENERAL 
ELECTION WERE HELD TOMORROW, THEY WOULD RETURN TO POWER WITH A 
MARGIN OF 90 TO 130 SEATS . ALSO LAST WEEK, HOWEVER, 
THREE SEPARATE OPINION POLLS INDICATED THAT LABOR'S LEAD HAS SHORTENED DRAMATICALLY 
IN THE PAST MONTH . A DAILY MAIL SURVEY ESTIMATED THAT 
TORY SUPPORT HAS INCREASED A STARTLING 7 PER CENT SINCE APRIL 
. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH GALLUP POLL REPORTED A 2.5 PER CENT 
GAIN FOR THE CONSERVATIVES, WHOSE SUPPORT IS NOW ESTIMATED AT 36.5 
PER CENT, TO LABOR'S 46.5 PER CENT THE CLUES WERE NOT 
QUITE AS CONTRADICTORY AS THEY SEEMED . COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN BRITAIN 
GENERALLY MIRROR LOCAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS . WHILE TORY CANDIDATES WERE HURT 
BY HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT LEVELS IN MANY BIG CITIES, THEY ALSO TOOK 
A BEATING IN MANY PROSPEROUS SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES WHERE HOUSEHOLDERS WERE STILL 
CROSS WITH THE GOVERNMENT FOR RECENTLY INCREASING THEIR LOCAL TAXES (FROM 
50 PER CENT TO 300 PER CENT ) . NATIONAL OPINION 
POLLS, WHICH IN THE PAST HAVE PROVED FAIRLY ACCURATE, APPARENTLY REFLECTED 
BRITONS' SATISFACTION WITH A NEW HEAD OF STEAM THAT HAS BEGUN 
TO APPEAR IN THE ECONOMY . TORN BETWEEN CONTRADICTORY PORTENTS, PSEPHOLOGISTS 
AND POLITICIANS WERE ABOUT EQUALLY DIVIDED ON WHETHER THE GENERAL ELECTION 
WILL BE HELD THIS FALL OR NEXT YEAR . 