The Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 5, 1908. THE ABSOLUTE MAJORITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 381, 5 May 1908, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 5, 1908. THE ABSOLUTE MAJORITY.

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New Zeai.and justly prides itself on being the best governed country in the world. It also pi ides itself on being the most democratic country in the world ; and with the possible exception of Switzerland, there is no country which can snatch even this second honour away from us. But although New Zealand is so democratic and admittedly well - governed, we are ever and again reminded, as Parliamentary election time approaches, that there is one feature in our constitutional machinery which is crude and absurd even to an intolerable degree, and a perpetually recurring source of irritation at each Parliamentary cam 1 paigu. We refer to the absurdity, time-honoured though it be, of declaring a candidate elected merely because he has received a larger number of votes than any other one candidate, although he may not have polled anything like one-half of the total number of votes cast at the election. Our own worthy member, Mr J. Stevens, obtained more votes at the last election than Messrs Vile and Oswald Gardner put together (Mr Frankland having retired from the contest in order to avoid the splitting of liberal votes), and he (Mr John Stevens) therefore was logically and rightfully declared the member for Manawatu, because he represents an absolute majority of the electors who went to the poll. But at each campaign there is too large a number of typical instances where this is not the case. We need not even go back to the last general election in order to instance a case where our absurd system has foisted a minority candidate upon a constituency. We need only call to mind the recent bye-election at New Plymouth. The well - disciplined Opposition Party puts into the field, there as elsewhere, one single candidate only. Discipline being more lax in the Government Party, it is found impossible to concentrate the whole of the liberal forces upon a single candidate. The result is that two candidates of nearly the same political opinions split each other’s votes, and the representative of a minority slips in ! Our primitive electoral machinery has thus the ludicrous effect of giving New Plymouth precisely the member of Parliament whom the majority of its inhabitants do not want. And this case is typical of numberless instances of miscarriage of the people’s will which inevitably occur under a system which is wholly illogical. We are glad to hear it rumoured that Sir Joseph Ward has on the stocks a bill to remedy this intolerable j grievance. Sir Joseph Ward proposed such a measure three or four years ago, before he was Prime Minister, aud Parliament ought to have passed it at that time, Re-

miss in its duty on that occasion, we are satisfied that Parliament will be compelled, by the growing sentiment of the Dominion, to substitute at the earliest possible date a reasonable electoral procedure for the antiquated system which in so' many constituencies now thwarts the popular will. Rumour is not very definite as to which of -three alternative proposals the Premier intends to introduce. We have heard the second ballot system of continental nations mentioned ; we have heard mooted the simple and excellent method known as the “ preferential vote;” and lastly, there has been a reference to the scientific hut extremely cumbersome and complicated “Hare system” of proportional representation. But, as Sir Joseph Ward’s Bill is as a rule colloquially spoken of as the “Absolute Majority Bill,” we sincerely hope that it is not this third system which Sir Joseph advocates, as the very essence of the “ Hare system ” is to produce minority representation, though only in proportion to the relative strength of parties. It was invented by a man of the name of Hare—hence its name, —was enthusiastically advocated by John Stuart Mill, and other _ publicists, and doubtless there is something to be said for it. We dare say the Opposition thinks it would secure a larger representation in Parliament under the “Hare system !” It was mooted in this colony more than twenty years ago by the Hon. Oliver when he was a member cf Sir Frederick Whitaker’s Cabinet, and our townsman. Mr Frankland, who was at that time Government Actuary of the colony, prepared for Mr Oliver a special method of solving the problem which has always been the bugbear of “ Proportional Representation,”

namely, the problem oftransferring the surplus votes from those candidates who have obtained more than what is called the “ quota.” Mr Oliver was afterwards told by Mr Leonard Courtney, M.P., —the great “Hare” expert in Kngland—that Mr Frankland’s mathematical device for transferring these surplus votes was the best that had ever been invented.' But the mere fact that it required a highly paid Actuary to suggest a complicated device— however scientific for carrying out an essential part of the process, shows that the “ Hare system ” itself, in the present stage of political growth, is utterly unsuited for popular elections. It died a natural death when the Hon. Mr Oliver drafted a Bill for it a quarter of a century ago, and it is to be hoped that Sir Joseph Ward does not intend to revive it now. Of the two remaining systems that have been mooted, —the “Second Ballot” and the “Preferential Vote,” —both of which are 11 Absolute Majority ” systems in the strictest sense of the words, the ‘‘Second Ballot” is undesirable on account of the extra expense a second election would entail. It is line that it has given much satisfaction in France and Germany, in both of which countries it obtains, and it is certainly infinitely preferable to our present monstrosity. But for the reason referred to (that of heavy expense), and also for the reason that even the second election sometimes fails to give effect to the -will of the constituency, we want none of it. The remaining system, the “ Preferential Vote ” —is both simple, direct, and inexpensive, and it gives infallibly the result which the majo:ity of the electors desire. We propose to furnish an explanation ot its simple procedure in a (uture article.