The Waikato Times THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1889.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2648, 2 July 1889, Page 2

The Waikato Times THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1889.

Kqual :inili-x;u;tiiislicotci;illnicn. Of tthiitsniiviTSliitcor persuasion, religious or ■ political.

TitE Electoral Bill is intended to remove, many of the anomalies existing under the system now in vogue. Past elections have demonstrated the enormous waste of voting power, and that it renders it possible under certain conditions which too often occur, for members to be returned who do not. actually represent their constituency, that they, in fact, owe their election to a minority and not to a majority of the electors. Thus a parliament may contain a dominant party who do not truly reJlect the will of the bulk of the people:. To obviate the recurrence of this danger, as danger it undoubtedly is since it defeats the greatest principle of representative government, is the aim of reformers in the Old Country as well as in this colony. It is to secure this object that the Colonial Government have introduced the Electoral Bill during the present session. In so doing they have respect for a strong feeling, general throughout the colony, in favour of a change in the electoral system. Parliament will expire next year, when its successors will be returned on the lines of the Representation ' Act of I .>S7, with a reduction in its ■//rfiKuhii , /. Consequently, whatever reform is In !>r made in the manner of eieduig the representatives to t'lie popular Chamber of the Legislature, should be made, to f,\ nelironise, with its altered eons! ilu'ion. In responding to tin; popular wish by bringing forward (heir measure, we believe t In.- Ministry have also given heed lo public opinion in this ivspeei. by proposing to introduce the Hare principle", as the basis upon which the change shall be elVected. This principle underlies what is now known as Proportional representation. \ v/ e have already, in previous articles, led up to this plan for sociuing a truer and more perfect

representation, consistent with our cherished democratic aspirations. The- Proportional System can 1)6 adopted in several ways, tho principal ones being those embodying the Single Transferable Vote, the Cumulative Vote, and the Limited Vote. Under the first no elector is allowed more than one operative vote, but, in tho case of constituencies that return more than one member, he can specify on his ballot paper to which of the candidates he wishes his vote transferred, in the event of the first candidate of his choice obtaining more than the quota required to secure his election. Should the present plan of single member constituencies continue/in force, them: would be no application of the transferable vote, and we have wisely adhered to the one man one vote principle. Should, on the other hand, the country change the existing small constituencies for a few electorates with enlarged areas under the Hare system, then the latter would each return several representatives, and the transferable vote would necessarily be of importance to the electors. To borrow an illustration, supplied by Sir John Lubbock, we will suppose such a constituency to return three members. There are 14,000 Freetraders and 10,000 Protectionists in tho electorate, and each party has two candidates iu the field. One of the Freetraders, through superior ability and popularity might poll ten thousand votes, leaving only four thousand to his collragne. The Protectionists, by dividing their votes, and giving their two candidates five thousand each, would secure the return of them both, although their party is numerically the weaker. There would be a great waste of voting power by the stronger party, who would thereby lo.se one seat. The Transferable Vote would prevent this waste. IJulif the 10,000 Free-traders had been able to indicate the order of preference to be given to their votes when voting for the first candidate, tho excess of tho quota required would have been credited to the other candidate, and another S'.-at would have been secured to the majority, leaving out: seat to the minority. The first candidate would only require 0,001 votes to secure his return; therefore, he would have an excess of 3,i)'J9 thai could be transferred to the other Free-trader.

Wo ure, in ;i ineasurf , , familiar with the cumulative method of voting, it being practised at the school board elections. Each elector has as many votes as there are members to bo returned, and may divide them or give ail the votes to one candidate. Whatever may be said in favour of this plan so far as it relates to school elections, and there are many obvious objections raised to it, it is made abundantly clear that there would be a too great loss of voting power if applied \o political elections. Thus, a candidate, by the plumping of his supporters, might receive ten thousand votes when six thousand would suflicc to secure his election. There would, therefore, be a tremendous waste of votes, practically disfranchising a number of enlightened citizens.

Proportional Representation is, as Lubbock avers, the only system to fairly represent the views of the country. Under it, he also shows, then. , "would 1)0 an end to the intolerable obtrusion of thecancus, electioneering agents and committees. The elector would be free to vote for the man of his choice without fear of throwing away his vote, whilst the minority, together with the majority oE the people, would be represented according to their respective strength. That is, we will obtain perfect representation of the will of the people. In connection with the question of representation and electoral reform, a division has arisen between town and country members over the quota. The object is to prevent the preponderance of power falling to either the city or country constituencies. As regards the merits oE this contention, we, of course, throw our sympathies on the side of the couutry". The agricultural and pastorai industries being the greatest source of a nation's wealth and prosperity, it is only just and reasonable that they should have the greatest voice in the Parliament of the land. Institute the Proportional system: of representation on the Hare principal of enlarged electorates, and that bone of contention would no longer have any existence.