WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

arrogance of party,

a PROTEST

(Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, April 20. The ‘‘Evening Post” returns to the Reform Party's method of nominating candidates for Parliament with a further protest against the perpetual tenure system. ‘‘lf in the Reform Party.” it says, ‘‘tenure of a seat in a triennial Parliament is to lie regarded as a continuing and altsolnte title ter party candidacy for the next Parliament, then such a system would he the opposite to that of selection ballot practised by the Labour Party. A Labour

member, may. of course, become a candidate without challenge, hut the ballot machinery is there for the use or rival aspirants and is frequently opor-

.fcd, ... A system of madiino politics that tends to keep out of Parliament every man unadorned with a partv label is bad enough. To create permanent proprietorship in the label would be a further depreciation of the franchise, a depreciation against which we hope the electors would rebel.” Of course it is as a. matter of .discipline that the Reform Party, to its very great advantage at the polls, dues not allow its candidates to ho selected promiscuously by the electors. GOOD GENERALSHIP.

To realise, the efficaey of the methods employed by the Hon A. D. ART.cod. familiarly known as the ‘‘Minister of

Elections” it is necessary to examine the results they bring about. At the general election of 1025. when the Coates Ministry scored a victory second only to the greatest of Mr Soddon's triumphs at the polls. (171.071 valid votes were recorded. Ol these 317.581 were cast for Reform candidates .181,010 for Labour 157.171 for Liberal and 12.000 for Independent. Reform, that is, secured 17.0 per cent f the votes. Labour 27.5 per cent.. Liberal 2:3.1 per cent, and Independent 1.8 per cent. Reform, however, secured 08 per cent, of the European ■cats (52); Labour, 17 per cent. (LTt

and Liberal ami Independent lo per cent. (11). The glaring disproportion in the distribution of the representation of the parties may he expressed in another way. It took only 0.107 votes te return a Reform candidate, while it teak 1-1,201 votes to return a Labour candidate and 14,288 votes to return a Liberal or Independent: candidate. MAKING SI RE.

In face of facts like those the Minister of Elections, while lie remains in office, surely cannot lie expected to look with any favour upon a proposal to amend the electoral law. The Labour Party, indeed, is the only party that lias definitely pledged itself to a progressive movement of this kind. The Liberal Party, just before the war. and, it must he feared, without realising what it was about very nearly carried the second reading of a proportional representation Rill introduced h,v Mr Veitch. but the four years of

‘‘war-peace” in Parliament put anything of the kind out of mind, and no enthusiasm for such a measure has since been revived. The truth ol the matter is that the average member of the House of Representatives is inclined to look with favour upon the system that lias brought him to Parliament. and is suspicious of experiments that might ma.ko his scat less secure. The friends of Reform should pray that the Milliter of Elections, himself, he seized with an inspiration to give the country, during his reign. an equitable system of representation. R ERRIN'G A LONG.

Meanwhile the minor hrajiehes of the disunited Opposition are rubbing

along in a very unimpressive fashion. The United Party’s organiser and general factotum replying to some perfectly reasonable questions put to him by a correspondent of cue J the local papers tells the anxious inquirer that “he has neither the time nor the inclination to answer anonymous correspondents.” hut if the writer “will came out into the open” lie will “endeavour to lighten his political darkness.” A gentleman of s/ich wide experience in political campaigning '■hrnild have been able to make more capital than this cent of his opportunity. Then in the AYnimarino constituency another LiL'*rsd is in the field in opposition to Air ,11. W. Smith, with the excuse that the sitting member is cn friendly terms with members of tb s R eform Party *‘n ml. is not emphatic in hit repudiation c.f their w:\vs. The Liberals are denouncing the platform of Labour a little more loudly than they are denouncing the short-comings of Reform and thus estranging from their party that section of the progressive forces that still .uliscrihes to the Ballauee and Seddoil detriiies. And so on and so on to a helpless rabble.