ELECTORAL REFORM.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 241, 8 October 1920, Page 4

ELECTORAL REFORM.

The result of the Bay of Plenty by electron has been used as an argument' against proportional representation. The connection may seem strange, but the idea is that the late Mr. MaclDonaid held the constituency by reason of his personal popularity rather than his political views, whereas under proportional representation voting would be on strictly party lines. Or to put it in the exact words of the critic, "it may be true that the present system is arithmetically un- j sound, but it does permit the electors to I place in Parliament men whose integrity' and sincerity command their confidence, I an advantage that could hardly be pre-j served by any of the alternative methods, since they are admittedly advocated to eecure arithmetically perfect j representation of parties rather than the election of individuals judged by the electors to be beet fitted to govern the country." To describe as possibly ' arithmetically unsound" a. system that has given Mr. Massey a. handsome majorty in Parliament when he polled a minority of votes in the country id putting it mildly. We really cannot see that under proportional representation c voter is debarred from voting for a candidate on non-party grounds. It is human nature to prefer men to parties sometimes, and we have never seen it suggested that proportional representation is going to change human nature. What is claimed for it is that it gives a fairer representation of public ap°nion than the present system. We take this opportunity of pointing out again the progress that this idea is making elsewhere. The men in high places here who pay or imply that it has been a failure in Britain and is not making headway do not know what they are talking about. They cannot even 'have read the list of I names of prominent members of the ' British Proportional Representation Society; if they had they would know that it includes a considerable number of the leading men in the nation, drawn from every party. It is especially to be observed that the Conservative element is strongly represented. The main resolution at the last annual meeting was moved tty Lord Robert Cecil, the member of the Conservative party who carries most weight and inspires most confidence. The House of Commons has already applied the principle of proportional representation to University Parliamentary constituencies in the United Kingdom, Scott kh country educational authorities, 'Irish local bodies, the Irish Parliament under the Home Rule Bill, selected constituencies in India, and both Houses of the Maltese Legislature. Are those who are opposing the idea in New I Zealand going to contend that this progress is negligible? .