The Stonewall

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16403, 24 December 1918, Page 6

The Stonewall

The supporters of proportional representation in the City Council lost no time at last' night's special meeting in setting up the "stonewall" which they had threatened. As soon as Cr. nesher had moved for the rescinding of the special order of February, 1916, establishing the method of preferential voting, there commenced a series of long and laborious speeches upon the advantages of proportional representation, but none of these speeches contained any sound reason why the present system should be perpetuated. It is true / that the stonewallers claimed that the alternative to the present system was the election of the Council as a single whole on the old method of voting, and we agree with them that if the old method is reverted to the Council should once more be elected by wards. The choice, therefore, lay between the present system and a system which in our opinion is also undesirable. But no great harm would bo dono if for once the Council wore elected by ordinary voting methods, with the city treated as one electorate. In any case, it is evident that the law stands in need of amondment. Whether, if the carrying of Cr. Flesher's potion meant a reversion to the old method of election by wards, the stonewallers would have debated the question in. a normal mannor, we take leave to doubt. The citizens will not be likely to think more highly of the Council, and in particular of the obstructive minority, when they read this morning of the tiresome and undignified proceedings in the Council Chamber last night. . It is a new and very unwholesomo doctrine in municipal politics that a minority is entitled by manoauvring to prevent the Council from coming to a decision.