The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FRIDAY, NOV. 21. SECOND BALLOT REPEAL.

Clutha Leader, Volume XL, Issue 41, 21 November 1913, Page 5

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FRIDAY, NOV. 21. SECOND BALLOT REPEAL.

lu view of the condemnation to which the second ballot was subjected prior to ami subsequent to last general election it is rather difficult to account for the determined opposition that is being shown now to its proposed abolition. There was hardly a member of Parliament or a candidate at last election who had a word to say in its favour, while the great majority made no secret of their desire to see it wiped off the Statute Book. Sir Joseph Ward was disposed to deal kindly with his foundling, but he had little "to say in defence of it. Not only were the Liberal candidates joining whole-heartedly in the general cry against it, but many of them aided with Mr Massey and the Reform ' |«arty generally in a specific declaration to have the Act repealed at the earliest possible opportunity. The Jlact is the . Act falls far short of the purpose for which it was intended. It was intended to ensure that every member would be ejected by an absolute majority of votes. But it turned out to be a compulsory Majority. The disappointed voters of tit* *andidate who suffered defeat at the «st Fallot failed to secure representation, and having nothing particular in common with either of the other candidates were subjected to influences and prejudices quite apart from political "KwiH-tions. Defeated in securing the ««tion of their own representative, t% *erp. out after the defeat of some Other candidate, and the consequence ; ff as results that should be discouraged ft nd not encouraged by Parliamentary ' "laetment. Instead of securing majority . it is not difficult to rej MJI cases where a candidate who was i 'ejected in a triangular contest was un- * 4eniably the strongest of the three in a I contest. The second E Wflst offers no solution in a case of this r«mi fa tne otlier hand, it has reI «jtea la tie diction of. representatives wgto, but i9t ftf PSH&kBI ppfrstfon gf

I the second ballot, would never have secured election, But now that it is proposed to repeal-an Act that has fallen so mißerably short of its purpose there is a itorin of protest on the part of a talkative minority in Parliament. The passage of the repealing measure is to be stone-walled, and every device used to prevent'being done what probably 75 per cent, of the members believe should be done. The ostensible reason for the stonewall is that they desire to know what is to take the place of the second ballot before it is repealed. The only possible substitute for'it is what is known as the preferential vote, which, for ourselves, we have always preferred to the second ballot. But the preferential vote has its disadvantages also. Like a number of other things, it works out well in theory, but reduced to practice it is intricate and unsatisfactory. There was never any demand on the part of the electors for the Second Ballot Act. It was the gift of the politicians who saw in it the probability of some party gain. It is difficult to give the credit of sincerity of conviction to the strenuous efforts that are being i made to prevent the repeal of the Act. Mr Massey has never minced words about his determination to have the Act repealed, and "he has never suggested that it should be replaced by any other measure of an experimental character. A good deal of nonsense is talked of in regard to majority representation. If there are three distinct parties in a contest, how is it possible to divide them honestly into two? . The probability is that the two which have the most in common will be so jealous of each other, and become so estranged over the contest, that the resultant feelings will be such that the defeated one will be out for revenge and will best obtain it by going over to the candidate with whom it has the least in common. The second ballot may at times suit-party ends, but until some better method of securing an approach to ideal representation can be evolved the decision at the single ballot is the more likely to fill the requirements of the electors. And if Mr Massey had immediately put his determination into operation and introduced his repealing measure last year it would probably have gone through without a word.