PARTY MONOPOLIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 30, 6 February 1939, Page 8

PARTY MONOPOLIES.

SEATS ON LONDON'S COUNCILS.

| The odd results brought about by voting, under the first-past-the-post system, in the London municipal elections are pointed out in a leaflet issued by the Proportional Representation Society. In seven boroughs one partv obtained a complete moiiopolv of the representation. In Westminster. Municipal Reform, with 44,n:i7 votes, secured (id seats: Labour, with 21.101. none. In Hermondscy, Labour, 02.«H12 votes, .">4 seats; Municipal Rieform, 20,091 votes, no seats. The result of the voting as a whole, it is claimed, i* "an artificial cleavage of London into solid Labour and solid anti-Labour areas. East of a. line drawn from Highgate to Sydenham. Labour seen red 54 of the 04 seats. Some 2-"i contiguous constituencies. electing nicmliers of the council, were won exclusively by the Labour party. The figures were: Labour, 4-J4.."i4,S votes, .io seats; Municipal Reform, 21."i,!)20. none. The voting was in the proportion of two to one. but the large minority failed to win a. seat. On the other hand, there are blocks of constituencies in the west of London and in the southern siiburlv- which are held exclusively bv the Municipal Reform party."