MAJORITY REPRESENTATION. TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 32, 7 August 1905, Page 6

MAJORITY REPRESENTATION. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — I would be grateful if through the columns of your journal you would permit me to refer to a speech recently made in the House of Representatives by Sir Joseph Ward in support of tlio Second Ballot. In his advocacy of this, Sir Joseph Ward 'claimed that the proposal would reduce the number of candidates at an election, and gave that as one reason for preferring his Bill to the one. introduced by Mr. M'Nab. I find it difficult to understand how this conclusion has been arrived at, since piaotically the only difference between- the two proposals is that one provides for two ballots on separate days, and the othei provides for the two ballots being taken simultaneously. Surely if the disinclination to face v. second ballot, would deier candidates from standing in the one case it would havb thu saroa eifect in the other. But I need not further discuss the point, since tho whole claim is unjustiiiablo I am prepared to accept as a fact the Minister's statement that parties sometimes induce candidates to come into the field with the object cf splitting the votes of a powerful oppwient, but I can see no reason why similar tactics could not be resorted to in order to prevent a candidate qualifying for the final ballot. lam aware that this criticism applies also to the Absolute Majority. The present system, the Second Ballot, aud the Absolute Majority nil permit vote-splitting of one kind x or another, and consequently minority representation would be possible under any one of them. The Absolute Majority Bill, however, could be made effective, and vote-splitting prevented, by simply pitting every candidate against every other cai>didate. With this method of counting votes the Absolute Majority proposal would be effective in ascertaining the indisputable preference of the electors, there comd be no possibility of vote-splitting, and the candidate returned would be the man who would have defeated any of his opponents had he met them one by one in the field. This 'method of counting votes need only add one to the number of counts that would be necessary under the Absolute Majority Bill ns it now stands. Mr. Brown could be treated as un amendment to Mr. Smith, and if a majority of the whole of the electors preferred Brown to Smith, then the ballot papeis might again be counted to find out what the position would be had. Brown met Jones, and if Brown again won he could be compared with Thompson, and so on. The principle underlying this system is one that is recognised as sound by the deliberative assemblies throughout the world, and is so well known that it is often not deemed necessary to embody it in a rule. "Fartisunentary practice" and general custom sanction it. ! No properly-conducted, meeting is nsked to choose between more than two propositions at a time in the shape of a motion and an amendment, and only when one' is voted out can a third proposition be taken with the one left, and voted on. My scheme is a prac-' tical application of this well-recognised and well-tested principle to the selection of candidates. If 'the Absolute Majority Bill were amended as I suggest there would be no object in running vote-splitting candidates, because the most popular man would inevitably be elected, and tho Absolute Majority Bill could then claim^ truthfully what Sir Joseph Ward wrongly claimed for the Second Ballot — I am, etc., J. M'CQMBS. Fendalton-road, Christchurch, 29th July.

Colonel E. J. S. Wood, of the Indian Army, was married at Nelson on Saturday to Mrs. Travers, widow of the late Mr. W. T. L. Travers, of Wellington. The tender of Mr. H. Crump has been accepted for the erection of a brick building of two stories on the site on Lambton-quay occupied for so many years by St. George's Hall, destroyed by fire last year. The building, ■which is for Mr. John Kirkcaldie, will be divided into shops The work is to be completed in December. Tho Makara Road Board held its monthly meeting on Saturday last, there being present : Messrs. F. H. Hawkins (Chairman), H. Catlcy, P. Hoaly, J. Monaglian, and G. Monk. It was reaolved that the resignation of the Clerk (who haa been in the service of tho Board for the past thirteen years), be accepted with extreme regret. It was also resolved that applications be called for the position of Clerk, nnd that a special meeting be held on the 19th inst. The remaindor of the business was of a foimal character. Accounts amounting to £69 193 lid were passed for payment. The pennies contributed during tho past thirteen years at the doors of the Catholic Churches in Te Aro (Bucklestreet and Boulcott-street) towards the maintenance of the Catholic Sundayschools in tho parish have amounted to £2021. "Committeeman, 1.P.L.L.," writes: "In mentioning tho name of Mr. Robert Hogg as a probable candidate of the Independent Political Labour League for Wellington East you have unwittingly dono both Mr. Hogg and the League an injustice. Mr. Hogg is not a member of tho League, has no sympathy with its objects, nnd is as unlikely to accept nomination ns the League's candidate as the League is' to nominate him." Tho Socialist Parly and the Independent Labour League have been coufusecl.