WELLINGTON NGTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 February 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON NGTES.

(Our Special Correspondent). ELECTORAL REFORM. MR. MASSEY’S VIEWS. WELLINGTON, Feb. 20. Speaking on Wednesday evening at tho presentation made to tho unsuccessful Reform candidate for the Hutt, Mr Massey made it quite clear ho had no intention of submitting any. proposal for electoral reform to the new Parliament. He did not deny that the recent , election had resulted in minorty repre- ( sentation. To this allegation he re- | sponded “Quite so.” But he claimed that the Imperial Government was in ! the samo position, that Mr Seddon had | obtained his huge majorities under the j “first past the post system,” that the j Labour Party in Australia attributed ! its defeat to the preferential system of 1 voting, and that proportional represen_ tation, good as it would be for the Legislative Council, “would not apply to the House of jjeps.” Of course none of . this was very logical, but to the Prime i . Minister’s audience it appeared to bo 1 entirely convincing. 1 THE COUNTRY QUOTA. | Reading between the lines it is fairly ' obvious that the Prime Minister while still recognising the claims of propor- [ tional representation which he was insisting upon in the House a. few years j ago is afraid to imperil the continuance jof the “country quota.” 'This put roughly gives the rural electors four ! more seats than they would have if a ! really democratic system of election—- ! one vote one value»and one man one j vote—were in operation. This is the ' great obstacle in the way of the advo- ! cates of electoral reform, no party lead • er caring to tackle the concession to the ! rural constituencies, and if reform is to • come at all it probably will have to be initiated from outside Parliament. THE COi\L CONFERENCE. The Coal Conference still is dragging on its rather weary way and the public is being given little authoritative informnton concerning the progress it is making. Early in the week it was stated that the firmness of the owners in refusing to substitute a weekly wage for the contract system had cleared the atmosphere and prepared the way for a settlement satisfactory to both parties. Later reports are scarcely so encouraging, though it is generally thought the men are anxious to reach an agreement without the application of compulsion. Probably in any case the outcome will he a permanent increase in .the price of coal, but if the consumers were assured of regular supplies there would not be a o-reat deal of grumbiing on the score of cost. WELSH MINERS. The arrival of a party of minerß from Wales, by way of Australia, this week may have some bearing upon the coal question. There are 29 men in the party, accompanied by sixteen wives and eleven children, and whether they take employment in the mines of the Dominion or not they are likely to prove a. very useful addition to the Dominion’s army of workers. The wages and conditions in New Zealand look attractive to the Welsh immigrants, and though nothing is further from their minds than to assist in coercive measures from either side they are hopeful of being able to establish themselves as useful colonists in. the Dominion I their enterprise should prove satisfactory they will be followed by manyworked of the same type from the Old Country. |