PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 32, 7 February 1930, Page 8

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION

*(To the Editor.)

Sir, —I notice that Lord Craigavon has found it necessary to answer' some of the criticism in connection with the abolition of proportional representation in Northern Ireland, as the six counties under his Lordship's Government are usually, styled. If the Opposition are not dissatisfied with the change it is somewhat remarkable that strong protests were made within the past few months at innumerable demonstrations in connection witli the celebrations commemorating Catholic Emancipation. His Lordship has likewise omitted to notice | the fact that those protests evoked sympathetic criticism from representative Liberal papers such as the "Manchester Guardian." If there has been no breach of faith on the part of his Government, how came it that, in the course of his speech on the second reading of the Government of Ireland Bill, 1920, Sir L. Worthington Evans, speaking on behalf ot the Coalition Government' then in office, described proportional representation as "one of the safeguards by which it is intended to protect minorities"? It is because of that safeguard that the Unionist minority in Southern Ireland is assured of adequate, representation in the Dail, and were the Free Slate majority to emulate Lord Craigavqn and his friends, there I would be emphatic and justifiable protests. . From Lord Craigavon's point of view, proportional representation is "faulty in character," because out of a House of 52 representatives the minorities were- able to secure 19 seats. Speaking at an Orange gathering shortly before his departure, his Lordship declared "We want a Protestant Parliament for a Protestant people." The fact remains, however, that out of a population of a million and a quarter, one-third is Catholic. Under the proportional system they were assured of representation in keeping' with their numerical strength, but electoral justice, though deeply appreciated by the tree State Unionists, is intolerable to the majority in Northern Ireland. In fairness to Lord Craigavon, 1 believe that in abolishing electoral-justice, he took advantage of prejudices with which he did not really sympathise, and that he had other reasons for his policy. There are differences within the ranks ot his own party, and proportional representation offered facilities for the dissientients to gain a footing in Parliament. Out of 13 seats'in Belfast, for example, the Government polled 09,(508 votes, but got eight seats, while the Opposition polled 81,30 l votes and won five seats. Herein lies the real reason why Lord Craigavon dislikes proportional representation. It was abolished because of the mottled opposition of Prohibitionists and independent candidates who offered themselves, and thus the party is given a superficial appearance of solidity. Gerrymandering, I submit, is inseparable from the single.member system.—l am, etc.,- ; P. J. O'REGAN.