THE SECOND BALLOT SYSTEM.

Evening Post, Volume LII, Issue 1170, 9 December 1896, Page 2

THE SECOND BALLOT SYSTEM.

♦ TO THE EDITOB. Sib — On glancing over the electoral returns, I notice the following anomalies : Of the four chief cities — Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Duuedin— the successful candidates for Auckland and Dunedin were alone able to carry sufficient votes to warrant them in laying claim to the position of representatives of a majority of their constituents, the figures being as follows :—

In other electorates the disproportions are in many cases much greater than at Wellington and Christchurch. For instance, at Wallace the successful candidate polled only 756 votes, whilst his four opponents obtaiued 2116, thus showing that the winner represented only 26 per cent, of the voting power, whilst his opponents represented 74 per cent., or nearly as much as 3 to 1. What is the remedy for this state 1 of things? The answer is plain. A second ballot confined to those candidates who can show the highest numbers that carry an actual majority of the voting power. This, I think, is the French system, and the French people are undoubtedly scientific, as evidenced bj' their systems of money, weights, measures, and insurance. Applied to our Wellington case — a treble electorate — it would bring in the fourth man, Mr. Atkinson, with his 6285 votes. At Christchurch, likewise a treble electorate, a second ballot would bring in Mr. Collins, with his 5307 votes; but at Wallace, a single electorate, it would bring in both the second and third men, with 1226 votes between them. The other electorates in which a second ballot would be required are Parnell, Taranaki, Manawatu, Pahiatua, Egmont, Hawera, Motueka, Lyttelton. Ashburton, Waikouaiti, and Invercargill, This makes in all fourteen (14) electorates, or only about one-fifth of the whole. AVhich candidates under this process would emerge victoriously, I am not even prepared to guess, but the mouths of their opponent^ would be effectually stopped from saying: "These men are not the representatives of a majority in their respective constituencies, but only of a minority created by by, our own inability to conceutrate our forces. They have not triumphed by virtue of their merits, but because of our blindness." I also notice that although Mr. Scobie Mackenzie had a higher number of votes recorded for him than any other candidate, yet the percentage of his number to the whole votes given at Dunedin was not higher than that given for Mr. Thomas Thompson at Auckland, each candidate's number showing 19"o per cent, of votes polled in his electorate. Our Mr. Hutcheson comes next with 17 per cent., then Sir Robert Stout with IG'B per cent., whilst Mr. Lewis, although at the head of the poll at Cliristchurcb, did not win as many of his constituents by 1£ per cent, (nearly) as the Wellington second man won of his. Trustin/? that thy next House will give consideration to these points, I am, &c, Thomas H. Mabin.

luckland— • Votes. 1 Successful candidates ... 19,467 Unsuccessful candidates 17,299 36,766 Percent. 52-9 47-1 1000 )UNBDIN— Successful candidates ... 20,081 Unsuccessful candidates 19,852 39,933 50-3 497 1000 Now for the other two cities:— Vkllinciton— Successful candidates ... 20,184 Unsuccessful candidates 20,618 40,802 !HBIBTCHTTBCH — Successful candidates ... 17,951 Unsuccessful candidates 24,586 42,537 49-5 50-5 IOO'O | 42-2 ' 57-8 100-0