WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1931, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE GENERAL ELECTION. HOW THE PARTIES STAND Special Correspondent. WELLINGTON, Dec. 7. Having had the week end to consider the matter the public—or' at any rate the portion of the public really interested in such matters—stilj find it a little difficult to determine exactly how the United Coalition, the Reform Coalition, the Independent Coalition and the National Coalition stand towards one another. The arragnement of candidates, s > far as the Coalition Government was concerned, set ms to have rested with the Right Hon. G. W. Forf.es, the Prime Minister, and the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, who is described unofficially as the “co-leader of the Government”, a very appropriate title, but the morning paper in displaying .the result of last week’s memorable contest tabulates the elected United and Reform numbers of the House respectively, as if they had been returned by' independent parties. Reform is given twentynine members, an increase of two in the numerical strength of the party, and United is shown to have lost three members in the fray.

THE CABINET, The evening paper, sped biting, not editorially, upon a rearrangement of the Cabinet, suggests that owing to the United Party’s loss of line-.-members at the recent election it may be thought desirable to review the control of administration. “It is regarded as not improbablie”, ‘this authority says, “that the Hon A. D. McLeod, will have first claim f r consideration in the filling of the Ministerial vacancy caused by the defeat of the Hon. D. Jones, and that to adjust the balance of weight in favour of the Reform Party at least one of the United Ministers will be required to band over his portfolio to a Reform Minister”. Ibis enterprising authority suggests that ‘.‘both Mr R. A. Wright and Mr K. S. Williams qualify for promotion by virtue of previous ministerial experience:’, and Mr Wright by his large poll last week, and Mr Williams by his proved ability would deserve attention were a rearrangement of the Cabinet desirable; but nothing of the kind is in the air at the present time.

MINGLED PARTIES. The good intentions of the. Prime Minister and his “Co-Leader” in associating the United and Reform electors at tfie. poll doubtless were largely -responsible for . the numerical strength with which the Coalition Government will continue its arduous labours. It is plain, however, that their appeal was not invariably observed. Perhaps the most flagrant disregard of 'the efforts of Mr Forbes ! and Mr Coates was that displayed in | the Wellington North constituency,where two Reform candidates, . who ought to have known better, met

the single Labour candidate and with 5268 votes between them went down before their opponent’s 4175 votes. Jn the Hutt constituency -Mr Nash, the Labour candidate, who at the bye-election of two years ago, following upon the retirement ol Sir Thomas Wilford. polled 5,048 votes defeating Mr J. Kerr, the United candidate, hv only 213 votes, while Mr 11. F. Johnston, the Reform candidate, followed up with 2,510 votes. Since then the rol] of the constituency has increased by over 3000 red Mr Nash’s share to 8641. Where are Mr Johnston’s votes?

ELECTORAL REFORM. The recent general election, which after all was much less much I led ami confused than had been the great majority of its predecessors, has muted a correspondent of the “Dominion” to appeal to the public at large for a reform that would make Pariiament really repr sent live of the- great mass of the people. 01 the seventysix- European candidates returned to the Mouse of Representatives in 1928 no fewer than thirty-six mem hers, one. half of the whole, were minority ren owntati es, that is, they represented fewer than half the electors within ,their respective constituencies. The writer in the “Dominion” shows how an anomaly of tin’s magnitude might he lessened, hut lie does not suggest how the evil might b- wholly eradicated. He would find in any tolerably equipped public library information which would show him plainly how eviL might bo overcome, as it has been in the great majority of civilised countries. The trouble is .that the average Britisher having once obtained a 'seat in Parliament does not like the idea of imperilling his foothold. !