A PRACTICAL APPLICATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 245, 16 October 1922, Page 4

A PRACTICAL APPLICATION.

The division in the Reform ranks in the Christchurch North electorate'is an instructive comedy. Mr. Isitt has held the seat for Liberalism for a number of years, and in a straight-out light Reform has no chance of winning the seat. Of this Reformers who are honest with themselves are well aware. However, i smarting under the barbed truth that j the party represents only a minority oi i the people. Reform recently decided to contest all seats, which mean! that in Christchurch North there would be three I candidates —-Mr. Isitt. a Reformer, and a : nominee of the labour party. Labour is ; anathema to Reform, l.ut Reform was ; cheerfully prepared to run the risk of | replacing a Liberal by a Labour member 'in Clirislchurch Xorth and elsewhere. ' Some of the Reform party ii, Christchurch North, however, beenine alarmed fit the possibility of the Labour candidate winning, so alter Mr. l-itt had given a pledge not to give any support to the Labour party, official Reform . swung round and said that the field ! must be kept clear for a light between 1 .Mr. Isitt and Labour. I!ut ibere are .oilier Reformer*, who do not agree with i (this line of action, and an unofficial: I Reform candidate ha- definitely J announced himself, against the wishes! lof the ioeal party malingers. The party is \ | reaping the Imr.est of its deliberate Rejection of the idea of electoral re form. ] I I nder n system of proportional reprcsoni tation there would be no need to worry j about vote splitting. Indeed, the "l.yt-j teltnn Time-," calculates 1 lint in the | ! Christchurch area proportional rcprosvn- ! .tation, if applied to the elections ~f lull, j ". when the party put up .aiidhlatc- all | round, would ha.,- actually V.i.-llt ed ' . Reform. Reformer* en. I I-l.r.H \ofc-, , but. did not elect a single mem her. | whereas they were entitled to at le:i-t jt'lo out of the six -.viits. Lv.-n under the second ballot system, which Reform 'hastened to repeal, and regarding which ■it has failed to keep its pied-e to replace it by something better, the of | Christchurch North would be in a much j better position to secure a fair rcpresen--1 tation of their political opinions.