PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9182, 3 September 1908, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(By Telegraph—Abridged from Piresw Association Report). WELLINGTON, September 2.

The Council met at 2.30 o'clock. The Westport Harbour Board Loan Bill was read a second time.

The Quackeries Prevention Bill was referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill, and Town Board Act Amendment Bill were put through Committee with slight amendments.

The Council rose at 4 50 o'clock,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 o'clock

Replying to questions, Ministers stated—That it seemed quite unnecessary to set up special appeal boards for such departments of the public service as do not possess them, as the classification board fulfilled the functions of such boards; that the question of altering the law so that water supply boards shall share in subsidies on rates cullected on the same basis as County Councils will be considered by the Government ) during recess; that arrangements would be made for automatic voting machines to be tested at some local election; that the final selection of design for the coat of arms for the Dominion would be made within the next two months; that the officers of the Labour .Department were paying attention to the question of the sale of tobacco after 8 p.m. by Chinese shopkeepers. On the House resuming at 7 30, the Premier moved the second reading of the Ballot Bill, designed to prevent any candidate at a Parliament tary election being returned by a minority ot' the total number of vot.es recorded, by providing for a second ballot between the candidates obtaining the first and second places at the first ballot. In cases where r.either of such candidates at such ballot shall have polled an absolute majority ot votes recorded the Premier recognised the importance of the measure. The general machinery of the Bill wai all contingent upon the second ballot. All the minor reI quirements of the ballot were pro- | vided for without delay, confusion, ior any inconvenience. It was pro--1 vided thgt the second ballot should take place on the seventh day after the first ballot, except in nine provincial electorates, \yhere fourteen days were allowed. The reason for bringing down the Bill was that the Government held there should be a majority vote for everything. A certain fact of recent elections was the increasing number of members returned to Parliament by minorities. In 1905 fifteen members were so returned, twelve Government and three Opposition. He disclaimed any desire to gain an advantage for th 3 coming election, but held that the past ;nust be the guide to the future, and unless some measure like the present was passed, one would be obliged to conclude that in succeeding elections the number of members returned by minorities would increase, and the time would come when majority members would represent the minority of electors. He did not believe there would be anything like the number of second ballots which some members declared there woGld be. Referring to the inconvenience of the second ballot, he agreed that the general election should take place on a whole holiday. Wednesday should be made the day for the election, and if a second ballot was necessary, the following Wednesday should be made a whole holiday. Mr Massey said that Sir J. G. Ward had ably defended a very bad cause. The speech was pne rather against absolute majority than for a second ballot. Everyone knew the Bill was brought down for party purposes. Let them imagine the amount of wire-pulling that would go on in those seven or fourteen days. He contended electors would not go to the second ballot. ' a proportional representation system under which every ma]n in the country would be represented in Parliament. Mr Massey proceeded to quote from Hansard speeches by Mr McNab in 1902, and Mr Fowlds in 1905, to show that both Ministers had argued against a second ballot as calculated to produce oolitical corruption, while Mr Millar had advocated representation of minorities. Mr James Allen held that the Government ought to have re-organ-ised the whole electoral system to give every person in the Dominion representation. The Minister phould have brought forward a proportional representation, as it obtained in v other countries. Elector-* would net go to a ballot especially in the country districts where they had to travel some 'distance 10 cast their votes. He could conceive of those voting at a second ballot being in the minority of those voting at the first! Mr Allen said it was high time the electoral system was revised to give minorities representation. It was better to leave our system alone than to introduce a measure the country had not asked for, and which had very serious drawbacks. The farmer objected to the Government springing a surprise of this kind upon ths country or the House in the last session of Parliament. The measure was not an advantageous one to pass ■ at present. The Hon. J. vA. Millar congratulated Mr Massey upon a return to j his cfld style. His only argument I against the Bill apparently was that it would lead to bribery and corruption, and he ought to have experience enough by this time to know better. Mr Massey said he (Mr Millar) had advocated the reprseentation of minorties, Well, he contended, minorities would be represented as well as majorities. The tendency of political upinion in Great Britain was towards a second ballot. All over the world there was a desire for political reform, and he preferred a second ballot to any other system. Mr Hornsby supported the Bill as a deterrent against a multiplicity of candidates and vote splitting. Ha argued that it was a libel on members to say minorities were! not; represented. Mr Hanan said that in 1904 tie Opposition voted against a proportional representation. He supported the second ballot. Messrs Sidey and Thomson supported the measure.