PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION ON TRIAL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2116, 6 April 1914, Page 4

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION ON TRIAL.

THfi political crisis in Tasmania, which has resulted ia the resignation of the Suj.omox GovcrmiK'.nt, has given rise to a- decidedly interesting situation. The literal and Labour parties in th® House and country have been very evenly divided for some time past; and when the present session opened there were just fifteen members on each side of the Hotiso. general election the Liberals had a majority of two, but they wore defeated at a by-election, which made the strength of parties cxactly even. ; The first business of tho hew session was the election of a Speaker; lnifc as neither party seemed inclined to nominate one o.f its men for tlie position, it looked as though a deadlock would result which only a dissolution could overcome. But a new position was created by ttw action of Mb. WhitatTT, a dissatisfied Liberal, who throw in his lut with the Labour Opposition, and thus brought about- the fall of ths Government, A dissolution was asked let, but the did not see his way to agree to this course,' and be sent for the Lc.ad-ei' of the Opposition (Hit, John Bajile). It now remains to be seen whether a Labour Ministry will be able to carry on tfcs business of the country. With Mr. Wiutkitt's help, the. Labour party, after providing a Speaker from its ranks, will have n majority of one—ls to 1.4. This leaves M.k. Wjutsiti complete .uiastor of the situation, and political dictator of Tasmania. He has not joined the Labour party, bat will refrain from turning it out of office until lie has seen what ■ its 'pro-! I gramjne is, and if the rreiy _ Govern* ■ men I submits measures 'which meet . with his approval bo will support ; it. Speaking with ths lofty assnr- | nncc of conscious power. Mi:. AYhitSijT says i?e will give tie Labour party every opportunity to make good", and in his overflowing generosity ho intends "to support measures for the Rood of, the community ftt largo.llis hostility to the. I,'' erai 'Ministry is iniiuacabli). In announcing his determination to overthrow it, he declared that "no-, tiling on this earth:, not even all the | gold in Tasmania.,"would change his ; intention. "'Nothing but death"; would stop him. As death did not intervene, tbi? Government went out. and Mb. E.um: is now trying;.to frame, j a policy which will meet with tW j

.approval of the limn who made him Premier, and can also unmake him. The situation is certainly not a satisfactory one. arid the gendjal opinion seems to ha ilmt an app.<?,il to the people eaunot bo delayed for very long, _ Tasmania's experience of proportional representation hj.s not- been very satisfactory.' .Tin's system . of voting l-s not always fis perfect in ■ practice as it appears to be in theory, and, as the Sydney Horn inn Herald points cut, where "public opinion is almost evenly divided between two parties, it is liaMs to niake_ government hy either impossible." Even a dissolution may mt result in the formation of a stabie Government. "The Literals may coifte hack with their previous majority of two," says the Herald. "hut it is by no moans beyond the ■bounds of possibility that the couii, try, may return an equal number of Liberal and Labour members, and then the Tasfri-aiiia&s will ones again be in the predicament of having no Go-vernmwii; at- all.' Perhaps their State will be tho more blessed on that account, The Whole position is

rather a significant cowwepiary oa' the much vaunted advantages of proportional' representation. , . , Like the second ballot- in this Si ate, it' was introduced with the best iiticnfions, and, like the second ballot, .its. ■has produced unexpected results ot which not tjven the most Iftjral apologist can approve." That some modification of tho system mast take ■ ■place seems to .be admitted by both { parties in Tasmania.. The Liberal] Government _ promised to do something in this direction., and Mb. WtrixsiTT, who now holds the fate of parties in the hollow of his hand, has laid it down that electoral reform must be the- first business which the new Government is to take in hand. It is not proposed to abandon proportional representation altogether, hut to alter the system in such a manner as to make it impassible for an equal number of representatives on each side of the House to be returned. This- \va.s the proposal of the late Government, and the leader' of the Labour party lifts expressed approval of it. Propflrtional representation is still on its trial, and the developments of .political events in "Tasmania in the near future will be watched with feen interest by those nepplc in various parts of fte world'who are looking for the perfect voting system, It certainly has not yet been discovered.