THE GLOBE. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1879.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1744, 22 September 1879, Page 2

THE GLOBE. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1879.

The growing expenses of elections, without doubt, must claim the serious consideration of Parliament. From one end of the colony to the other the cry is that these expenses are becoming heavier and heavier, and the experience gained during this last Christchurch election is not such as to diminish the anxiety that must arise from this cause. Moreover, when it is considered that Triennial Parliaments are included in the platform of both parties, and that .consequently, that systemjs sure to be established by law, the matter obtains a still higher importance. Por if even now it is, in many cases, difficult to secure the candidaturo of suitable men, simply because they cannot afford " to pay the piper," what will it be when every thre« years the country is appealed to, unless some radical change is made in present way of working elections. The expenses connected with the appearance of at least four out of the five candidates that sought the suffrages of the Christ-

church electors would, if added together, probable startle the most sceptical. The " Regulation of Elections Act" has not been found to hare that effect which was expected of it. Under the present regime no candidate who is not prepared to lay down a considerable sum would have the ghost of a chance to be returned for anything boyond a mere pocket borough. The constituencies have beon trained to expect certain things to be done for their convenience and good pleasure, and would treat any candidate that did not conform with the custom of the day with scant courtesy. We are not in any way alluding to practices which are clearly illegal and demoralising; but simply to mere customs. Take the Christchureh election for instance. The action of the Government in paying over the city subsidy two days before the election and the lavish use made of the Government steamer for purely electioneering purposes are certainly open to grave doubts; but, to the manner in which the elections wore conducted by the various candidates individually, no objoction can be made. But, unfortunately, the whole electioneering system, as at present constituted, entails an expenditure of money which will, unless something is done, prohibit all but the very rich from seeking a seat in the House of Representatives. There are, doubtless, certain expenses which are inevitable. Among these may bo reckoned the hiring of halls and attendant expenses. It is above all things requisite that the electors should be fully acquainted with the views of the candidates, and should be able to question them on subjects concerning which the ideas of those gentlemen may not have been made sufficiently clear to the public at large. But once let the electors be thoroughly posted in what the various candidates may think on the questions of the day, and what need should there be of further canvassing ? No constituency indeed that, under such circumstances, requires to be canvassed, can have a due sense of the privileges handed over to it, or a proper regard to its own dignity. It is not necessary or proper that paid canvassers should be required to secure wavering votes. Any man who is worthy of the franchise should surely be able to make up his own mind on the subject. No pressure whatsoever should be brought to bear upon him. The ballot has been instituted with the sole view of leaving to every individual the power of giving his vote unbiassed by any outside action whatsoever. It is a contradiction in terms to say that a man is free to record his vote in any manner he may think proper, and at the same time to allow him to be approached by an individual who comes with the avowed intention of overriding the voter's conception of the situation should that conception be unfavourable to the canvasser's patron. Then, again, in the matter of conveying voters to the polling booths, the present system is objoctionable. With the polling hour closing at four o'clock it might indeed be argued that it was necessary that working men should lose as little time as possible and that it would not be fair to saddle them with the expense of hiring cabs. But let the hour be extended to eight p.m., and that argument vanishes. Let, too, the polling booths be made as numerous and be placed in as convenient places as possible, and electors may surely be allowed to trust to their own locomotive powers to reach the booths. The whole question, indeed, should obtain the early consideration of Parliament. It is, perhaps, too mnch to expect that the contesting of an election should be totally devoid of all expense, but great improvements on the present system might easily be made.

The ways of many of the unemployed may be considered as almost past finding out. For instance, this morning, between two and three hundred of them called at the Public "Works office, ostensibly for the purpose of inquiring for work. They were received with open arms, and work was promised them on the Weka Pass section of the Northern railway. Only about fifty, however, elected to take advantage of the offer—and yet the ordinary mind would think that the terms proposed were fair enough. They were to be previded with; tents and tools free of all cost, and with free railway passes to convey them to the field of action. Moreover the Government are quite prepared to open up a new section of line if such a course is rendered necessary by the numbers applying. But no ! this does not suit the majority of the individuals who called at the Government Buildings this morning, and stated that they were on their last legs. Their cry was that they wished for day wages, and that they objected to piece work. The well known " Government stroke" is no doubt to many a pleasing stroke, and it is cheerful to be able to claim a day's wage after mechanically handling the pick with marvellously small results. But any man of energy would surely prefer that he should be paid according to results. There has been no cry that the terms of the Government are undaly hard, and that a man's energy would not be rewarded by adequate remuneration. It is certainly discouraging to think that so few have accepted the offer of the Government, and the unemployed can hardly expect to retain the sympathy of the public if they do not show themselves willing to put their shoulders to the wheel.