TRIPLE ELECTORATES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 672, 27 May 1914, Page 5

TRIPLE ELECTORATES.

FOR THE BIG CITIES. A REACTIONARY PROPOSAL. [by TELEGRAPH. -"-rIIESS ASSOCIATION. 3 Wellington. Monday. The Post says it is currently reported that the Government will shortly introduce legislation having for its object the transforming of the three main city electorates in each of th 9 four centres into one electorate returning three members. Mr Massey stated, in answer to a question, that he could not give a direct answer. An Electoral Bill would be brought down, but he could not divulge Cabinet secrets.

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S OPINION.

Wellington, Tuesday

At a presentation to Mr M. L. Read-, ing, the new editor of the Lyttelton Times, Sir Joseph Ward took occasion to allude to the rumoured amalgamation of city constituencies. He said it would be nothing short of jerrymandering with the electoral law. He was strongly of. the opinion that proportional representation would be ju at as good for his party as for any other, but if tha party which had temporary control of the the country's destiny tried to create a discri minative electoral law it was wrong and improper. There should be one Fystem for town and country alike. He Delieved such an attempt Would ba resented by the people mora than the Government ' imagined. The Prime Minister had said be could give no inforamtion, buS surely everyone, with a right to enrol also had a right to know at the earliest moment what the conditions of the Bystem under which they voted were to be. HOW IT WOULD AFFECT AUCKLAND.

If the electoral law ia amended in the direction above indicated it will mean that Auckland Central, Auckland East, and Auckland West, represened reapecttiveiy by Messrs A. E. Glover, A. M. Myers, and J. H. Bradney, will lose tbeir identity as distinct and separate seats, and that they will be pooled into one large electorate, returning three members for which, no doubt, there would be a plethora of candidates.

Mr J. H. Bradney, ono of the members concerned, when seen by a Auckland Star representative on Monday concerning the above telegram, said that he would certainly be strongly opposed to any such change. The idea, he did not doubt, originated with certain Wellington members, who thought it would be advantageous to have the three Wellington City saats pooled. Ho could not say how the House would take this proposal, for it had not even been mooted last session. He trusted, however, that even if Mr Massey brought the scheme down this session, no attempt would be mads to hring it into operation this election. To do so on such short notice would be distinctly unfair to all concerned. Personally, ho would do everything possible to oppose it.