THE REPRESENTATION.

Evening Star, Issue 7247, 25 June 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE REPRESENTATION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—ln reference to the statement made by Mr W. D. Stewart at his meeting on Monday night, that “he thought nothing better could come to this Colony than that the students of its various universities should have a representative in the House, considering the money we spent on education,” etc., I for one fail to see the necessity for such, seeing that the franchise is so liberal in New Zealand. Every male British subject of the age of twenty-one yean can qualify for a vote, and students are themselves to blame if they do not register. If even they are_ lodgers, and have been resident in the district the necessary time allowed by law, they can qualify under the residential qualification From the suggestion of Mr Stewart, I should take him to be in favor of plural voting; and, notwithstanding what he says, he is a -class legislator. Does not Mr Stewart see that to give the University students a representative would be giviug a preponderant political weight over others, which I hold would be sknply injustice, and the evil effects of which are muon felt already under the Counties and Municipal Corporations Acts ? lam not a little surprised at the audacity (if I might use such a strong word) of Mr Stewart in suggesting such a proposal. It is possible I may have mistaken Mr Stewart’s meaning; but there are the words, and they are very plain, or if there is an ambiguity I fail to see it. Then let me repeat his concluding words on this subject, viz.; “ Considering the money wo have spent on education,” etc. No, sir; let no see who spends the money and where it comes from. Does not the consumer pay heavily for this party that Mr Stewart wishes to favor beyond others? Has not the State set asido large endowment) to support these institutions, and ate not the working classes the largest consumers and heaviest taxed? Yet Mr Stewart proposes further favors to a few at the expense of the many. In a previous patt of his speech he declared that we were going education mad. I can well agree with him on this point, when, as he states, the education of the Colony costa L 509.000 for a population of little more than half-a-million souls.

I trust the constituencies will see to this, and also to Mr Stewart’s proposal. If they are going mad on Protection they may be able to save a little sanity for these and other test questions.—l am, etc., GOBBXIS. Dunedin, June 22.