THOSE AUCKLAND SEATS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1925, Page 4

THOSE AUCKLAND SEATS.

(To the Editor.) Sir, — I quite uuclorstand that the Hon. A. ]). McLeod, what with organising the Reform Party, helping the soldier settlers out of their troubles and running the Lands Department, has little time to spare for the verification of his “facts.” It is, therefore, with only the most friendly feeling towards him personally that I wish to point out to the Minister that when he twitted Mr T. IM. Wilford, the leader of the Liberal Opposition, the other day with having avoided mention of the ill-fortune which liefell his party

in the Auckland province at the last

general election ho presented a most distorted summary of the position. “ At the last election, out of twentytwo seats,” be said, “ the Auckland province returned only one LiberalLabour candidate, and that by a niinoritv vote.” As a matter of fact in the twenty-two constituencies indieacd by Air .McLeod three Liberal-Lab-our candidates were returned, -Mr F. Lye for Waikato, Mr A. J. .Murdoch for Alnrsden, and Air 11. Poland for Oliinenniri, and of these only Air Lye was elected by a minority vote.

Perhaps while 1 am on the subject you will allow me to add a further word nr two concerning these twentytwo constituencies which may he ol interest to Mr McLeod. Of the 182,13 A votes recorded in them at the general election of 1922, 85,622 were east lor Reform, 45,971 lor Liberal-Labour, 40,(161 for Labour and 10.181 lor Independent candidates. The Reform votes won thirteen seats, the Liberall..*ihour three, the Labour five ami the Independent one, or in other words, while it took only (i,58,i votes to return a Reform candidate, and only 8,162 to return a Labour cniuliadte, it took 10.181 votes to return an Independent candidate and 15,323 votes to return a Liberal candidate. The Liberal Party polled substantially more than half as many votes ns did the Reform Party and yet it did not secure one quarter as many seats.

As for minority representation, live uf the Reform candidates returned failed to secure half the votes polled. Afr J. S. Dickson in Parnell was 1,208 short of a majority; Mr A. Harris in Wiatemnta, 776 short; Air A\ . D. Lysnar in Gisborne, 2,021 short: and no less a person than Sir Janies Parr, the .Minister of Education, 717 short. Taken all in all it seems to me that my friend the Alinister of Lands has invited a rather unfortunate compari-

son. I am, etc., PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION Wellington, Alareh 6.