CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2016, 16 August 1919, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To the Editor.) . Sir. —With your permission I would like to digress on a statement made in the Town Hall on Thursday night by the Labour candidate for this electorate, and incidentally, the people’s suffrage at the forthcoming election. The point I would like a more definite opinion on is the position of the independent candidate, for it is not unlikely that there may be one in the field. Mr Hillier, in his remarks,.said that the independent represented himself and not the people. Very well, how many in this electorate does the Labour Party represent? Do they number five hundred financial members ? If not, then the Labour Party cannot expect support of all the other electors. On the face of the argument we must remember that, both the Reform Party and the Liberals have weakened in the eyes of the electors, there is also a large number who never supported Labour, then under proportional representation even, which is a main plank in the Labour Party’s platform, Mr Hillier would not recognise the independent electors’ right to be represented in the House, and from an independent standpoint it is infinitely better to be a. free lance than a party hack. While we have party warfare, so will the welfare of the people play a secondary part. To be the nominee of a small party which could never hope to gain a seat'by its own numbers, then the nominee, to be successful, must, on the face of it, look to the independents to support him, while they must not be represented by a candidate of (heir own choice, according to Mr Hillier. In conclusion, it wrong, would any of the Labour Party care to put me right, and answer the above questions, and this one also: under proportiona 1 representation, how many parties will be allowed a representative in the House ? —I am, etc., E. G. MARTIN.