The Kumara Times. Published Every Evenings. SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1883.

Kumara Times, Issue 1995, 20 January 1883, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evenings. SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1883.

Householders, and especially those of them who have the scholastic interests of the rising generation at heart, are reminded that on Monday next, at eight o'clock in the evening, at the State School, the annual election of a Local School Committee for the Kumara district will take place. There were thirteen gentlemen nominated last year, and the seven elected were as follow : R. J. Seddon (subsequently elected Chairman), ~F. JBarrowman, W. S. S. Stantou, T. Cain, G. Voysey, J. Davies, and A. C. Campbell. These gentlemen have, so far as we know, given satisfaction, but it is scarcely likely by the system at present ruling for the conduct of school committee elections that the same seven will again be returned. An effort was made last session in the House of Representatives by Mr Steward, the member for Waimate, to do away with the absurd principle of allowing every voter a number of votes equal to the number of the committee to be elected and to allow all such votes to be given to one candidate or to be distributed among the candidates as he thought fit; but the Legislative Council opposed the bill, and therefore the elections will be conducted on the same ridiculous principle as of late years. To give an instance of the absurdity of the system : Lust year, in the Kumara School Committee election, one candidate, with 19 voters obtained 116 votes —third place on the poll ; whilst two other candidates, with 22 and 21 voters, polled respectively only 52 and 44 votes —or less than half the number of the successful candidate, and were found just low enough on the list—eighth and ninth—as to be off the committee altogether. It will i:o doubt be interesting just now to republish the analysis of the voting at last year's election, which was as follows :

we find fault with the gentlemen who by this system of voting obtained their seats on the committee ; they have both been useful and attentive men, and in the case of Mr Stanton, as we then remarked, he was the only candidate from the other side of the Teremakau, and represented a very laige district, including two schools. Still, it does seem most absurd, when thirteen candidates are nominated that one voter should be allowed to single out one candidate, and give that one all his seven votes. We trust to see the householders next Monday distributing their votes amongst the candidates in the manner shown at last election to Messrs Voysey, Campbell, Nicholson, and Burger, who had no plump votes.