WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 November 1922, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

ELECTORAL REFORM. MINORITY GOV Ell NM ENT. SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. WELLINGTON, Nov 22. The result of the Home general election has provided tile local advocates of proportional representation with another “glaring illustration,” as the “Evening Post” puts it, “of the imperfection of tho electoral system which Britain and New Zealand share in common.” The figures certainly are very significant. They show that though the Conservatives, the party that has just .succeeded to office, received only 39 per cant, of the votes 14.436,000 votes polled, they secured o 9 per cent, of tho seats in the new House of Commons. The Labourites polled 30 per cent, of the votes and secured 23 per rent, .of the seats, while tho Liberals with 19 per cent, of tinvotes secured 11 per edit, of the seats, and the National Liberals with 12-per cent, of the votes 7 per cent, of the seats. This means that with 5.746,09!! votes cast for them and 8,090,000 east against them the Conservatives secured a majority of 105 in the new Hoiisi It is in face of these figures, the local proportions lists exclaim, that the Conservative papers at Home are congratulating “a majority of the electors” upon having decided in favour ol the new Government. WHITHER TENDING

Commenting upon those figures the “Post” gives them their practical turn. “Can a system which allows so much.to chance” it asks, “lie defended as a reasonable method of determining issues of the gravest possible concern to the nation? Me must sureify concede' that democracy is a failure, and that chance is a better guide than reason in the conduct of is affairs, or we must devise some method which will protect ns from minority rule pretending to bo based, but not in tact based, on a majority vote.” Tho “Post” does not mention the extraordinary resemblance between the figures of the recent election at Home and those of the last general election here. As just stated, at the Home elecion tlit> Conservatives with only 39 per cent, of the votes polled secured 59 per cent, of tho scats. At tho 1919 , election here the Reformers with only 38 per cont. of the vote secured 58 , per cent, of the seats. In ether words while Mr Bonar Law at Westminster holds office against the will ol 61 per cent of the electors that voted last week. Mr Massey herb holds office against the will of 62 per it lit. of tho ejectors that, voted three years ago. STRONG AND STABLE. Mr Massey and his friends refuse to he impressed by these figures, or, at any rate, to admit that the “first past the post”' system is not the very hist in the world. Among their wealth of election literature is a pamphlet entitled “Political Cannibalism” in which it is argued that it would he impossible to obtain a strong and stable Government under proportional representation. Parliament, the writer says, would lie divided into a number of small groups, as the country is, and none of these groups would be strong enough to say to all the others, “You ge hang.” as a strong party can now. There would be compromises and intrigues and Ministries would be chopped and changed about according to the passing whim of this group or that. The title of the pamphlet is obtained from the suggestion that a. strong man seeking (lection in si large constituency would urge bis supporters to give their second and later prefcrcncii. to the weak candidates of the same colour so that his own return might bo made sure. The suggestion, at best, is a poor tribute to Lhe chivalry of the average politician. STUFF AND NONSENSE.

A strong advocate of proportional representation who has made a close study of the theory and practice of the system, derides the contents of the II efor m pamphlet as “stuff and nonsense.” Tho only valid objection to the adoption of the system in New Zealand. he says is that it would make the maintenance of the “country quota more difficult, than it is at present. Personally he is opposed, to the principle of the “country quota” which seeks to give the/ rural electors 28 per ccnt. more representation in I’arlinmnt than the urlihn electors have; hut he holds that with proportional representation the constituencies could be so grouped that the rural electors still would retain all that is worth while in their und,Vmnoiv,tii' privi-’ lege.” The absence of strong and

stable Governments has meam an unassailable majority, on one side or tlie other, ami stability, a disregard for all chaiicCis of opinion that cannot he expressed forthwith in votes. “I be trouble in the way of the llelorm.” lie said ill conclusion, “is that every Govurninent thinks the system that helped into office is the best.