Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 16661, 18 February 1918, Page 4

Proportional lively. concern the, proRepresentation, gress of the controversy between the House of Commons and the House of Lords upon the subject of Proportional Representation. The former House has taken a praiseworthy stand in favor of the enlightened system, the signal merits of which have for several years won the advocacy of this journal. Some months ago, in deference to the Widespread demand for the removal of electoral anomalies, the British Government Introduced a Bill to amend the machinery of representation. This Bill made certain electoral concessions to the Radical sentiment on matters developing in strength and prominence throughout the civilised world; but the concessions were meagre and grudging, and the House of Lords deemed them unworthy of the opportunity presented for building on a scientific foundation for democratic government. The consequence was a thorough-going proposal for Proportional Representation. The House of Commons, disliking a liberal lead from the arictocratic Chamber, refused to accept the amendment. Equally resolute to opposition was the House of Lords. The outcome has been a compromise, by winch 100 members of the Representative Chamber are to be elected upon the principles of Proportional Representation. Tho reform is to 'apply to those constituencies which return three or more members.

Thus has come to pass an innovation of vast significance. It would have been the subject of universal comment did not the war cast everything not directly or indirectly related to the progress of the Allies' arms into deep shadow. We would thrust ifc for the moment into the light of public, mention. The signs of' democratic development must not be allowed to go unheeded. A symptom of the influence which may be eipected from the action of the Imperial Parliament is furnished by the resolution of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants of New Zealand to elect the members of their next annual conference by means of the machinery which has now received the imprimatur of the greatest and oldest Legislature of the world. The new system has already obtained recognition in the Statute Book of New Zealand. Local bodies are given the option of adopting it, and the Upper Chamber of the Dominion Parliament is some day to be elected by means of it ; that is to say, when the Government screw up courage to relinquish the' discredited principle of nomination. We anticipate that the example of the British Parliament will' accelerate the movement towards Proportional Representation in this country, and hasten the days when the reform is applied to the House of Representatives. We need go no further for' illustration than the last General Election in New Zealand to demonstrate the urgency of the need. What a travesty upon representative government the official figures supply! The total votes cast for the Reform party were 243,476, .those for the Liberal and Labor parties 272,431; yet the former received 39 members and the two latter parties combined 37 only. Had the people been properly represented the Reform party would have secured only -54 out of a total of 76 European members. Again, 216,730 votes were recorded for unsuccessful candidates, including the same number of electors who failed to secure any representation at all. By means of the single transferable vote these electors would.have had their votes transferred to the election of a successful candidate. Proportional Representation is the only logical and scientific way of making Parliament a faithful mirror of public opinion and of preventing votes from being wasted upon unsuccessful candidates. We there--1 fore welcome tho evidence of progress that i comes to us from Great Britain. [A melancholy interest attaches to the above, which was written by Dt Bedford late on Saturday, and telegraphed to us by him from YYhangarei.— fid. E.S.] Practically all the potato crops in the Mosgiel district are blighted tin's rear, and many farmers who were looking" forward to a good return will be disappointed. An instance of the little knowledge that is a dangerous thing occurred last month in Queen stieet, Auckland, and had its sequel in the rblico Court on Wednesday (states the 'Star'), when Mr P. V. Frazer. S.M., convicted two ladies and ordered them to pay court costs. It appears that the two people, one a girl of 16 years and tho other an older woman, stopped on tho Customs-Queen street corner to talk. The time was during the j heavy traffic horn- between 5 and 6 o'clock i in the evening, and a constable requested | them to move on. They were annoyed a J little, and the girl, who" is employed in a | legal office, moved with her companion to [ the roadway. This did not abate the " obstruction," so the constable again requested | them to move on, and they had a few words with him. The younger lady I seemed to consider that she 'knew tho byi law, and thought they had complied with it, as they were off the footpath. As a ! matter of fact it is tho footway that is mentioned. Sub-inspector Wohlman remarked that the action in this case was taken as a warning to other ladies- who made a practice of talking on the traffic lines at these busy hours. The Magistrate said it was" a common thing I'or ladies asked to move on to object to being spoken to by tho police. It seemed to him to be an extraordinary state of mind, and their objections were quite uncalled for. At a well-attended meeting of market gardeners and fruitgrowers of Nelson Citv tho following resolutions were, unanimously adopted (says the 'Colonist'):—"That this meeting enter a protest'against the injustice of putting up property values while property owners are not allowed to raise rents during tho period of the war"; " that the meeting enter a most emphatic protest against a" system that compels Britishers of military age to go to the front and leave their business, home, wife, and family, while single and married aliens of military age are allowed to carry on thenbusiness as usual " ; " that this meeting consider there shauld be set up a body to which an appellant whose appeal has been dismissed, by the Military Appeal Board can appeal for a further review of his case." Our Christchurch correspondent tele- I graphs :—lt is understood that the Protestant Political Association have found that their connection with the Orange lodges of the Dominion has somewhat hampered them in the matter of securing members, and that at a conference held recently at Wellington, it was decided that, whilst fully recognising the assistance rendered by the Orange lodges in the early stages of the formation of the association, all connection between the association and the Orange lodges should be completely severed in April nest.

Mr Paulin's forecast:—S.W. to S.E winds; rain showers; indications imnrov mg. l

Ihe unique position that has arisen at Home m connection with the food rationing scheme has hardly yet been realised in New Zealand, where there are still ample stocks to carry on. A Wellington resident lias received from his relatives at Homo a card which sets out the restrictions being placed on all menus. The regulations urgo a- more extensive use' of fresh vegetables and fruit, and in particular of potatoes, which are, it is explained, not rationed. Observance of the prescribed Tations without privation is enabled owing to the success of the potato crop, but wastage must not be practised. One of the terms of tho scheme is the exchange of bread and meat, which allows any person to take half a pound of meat over and above his ration in exchange for half a pound of bread, to he deducted from his bread ration. Economy in regard to the consumption of milk and cheese is advised, and it is pointed out that these foods should be reservecr for persons for whom they are indispensable. In particular, the need for economy is stressed in the use of the staple foods—bread, flour, and other cereals, meat, butter, margarine, lard, and sugar. It was announced at this morning's meeting of the executive of the Otago Patriotic Association that of 101 soldiers' applications for assistance coming before the Relief Committee during the month only four had been refused. This; said tho Mayor, should be a complete answer to the assertions frequently made that the soldiers did not receive due consideration. A Council of Conciliation sat at Dunediu this morning, Mr W. H. Hagger presiding, to consider an application by the Taratu Coal Miners' Union for an increase in yardage rates and an alteration in working conditions. The assessors for the union were Mr John Arbuckle (of Runanga) and Messrs James Thompson, jun., and John Davis (of Kaitangata). The proprietors of-tho Taratu coal mino were represented by Mr George Cheeseman, Mr Arthur Morris, and Mr A. S. Cookson An award made in 1908 ran its course, and since then the parties have been working under an arrangement based on that award. In 1916 the proprietors granted a 10 per cent, war bonus, and in 1917_ a further war bonus of 7£ per cent, to piece-workers and 20 per cent, to ordinary hands. The matter was talked over all tho morning, and no agreement had •been come to when the council adjourned for lunch.

In reference to a resolution adopted by representatives of dairy factories at Palmerston North that they will withdraw from supplying the local market on the f,T ~.l nsf the Prinle Minister stated at Wellington on Saturday that the local market will not be allowed to go bare, nor will present prices ho increased.

An interesting decision to miners in particular and to trade unionises gonerallv was given a? the Magostrate's Court, Havelock, by Mr F. O'B. Loughnan, S.M.. The point in dispute was whether a miner receiving 12s a day could, be taken oft' without his consent and put on work at a lower rate of pay. His Worship, after fully iv«» viewing the evidence, said he must come to the Conclusion that the miners had made out their case. His answer to the request of the union is that where a man is cmployed in one grade and is asked to do wodc in a lower grade be shall bo paid the wages of the higher grade, subiect however, to the exception set out m "the award.

A few weeks ago, in the neighborhood oi Oodlawirra, on the Cockburn railway, in South Australia, a number of trains 'had to be divided and hauled over small upgrades in sections, becauso the wheels would not grip owing to the slippery state of the rails due to" the crushing of milTionsof locusts (says the Adelaide 'Advertiser'). The grasshopper trouble has ended, but last week, in the same locality —between Oodlawirra and Nantabibbie—a train had to be subdividecTTiito sections before it could be taken over a rise, in consequence of the crushing of ants. The track for a long distance waa black with ants, all migrating in one direction, and millions were killed. ' The stench which arose from the remains was described as almost unbearable. The railway authorities had experienced the unpleasantness of the odor of decaying locusts, 'but tbev assert that the peculiar smell enamating'from the freshly-crushed ants was far more nauseating.

An ingeniously-constructed dagger, made by Germans interned on Motuihi Island, and found in a locker on the scow Moa after her recapture at the Kermadee Islands, has 'been presented to the Auckland Museum by Mr W. B. Ley land, of the Leyland-O'Brien Timber Company (says the Auckland ' Herald'). The dagger is made from a saw three comers and the end of which had* been sharpened, and the rasps polished off. The file was then placed in a wooden handle, bound tightly with fine twine. This is the first article connected with the escape that has as yet been placed in. the museum. The 17 young men who have qualified for the Royal Aero Club's certificate at the Canterbury Aviation School are being accompanied to England, where they join the Royal Flying Corps, by an Auckland graduate.

A Wellington P.A. message says: Neither the Rev. Mr Stockwill nor the Rev, Mr Miller, victims of the assault after the Rev. Howard Elliott's meeting at Feilding last week, had sufficiently re" covered to enter the pulpit yesterday* So far no arrest has been made. It appears that no one witnessed the assault except friends of the assailants.

The inquest on the body of the female child found in the dam at Waiwera on the 2nd inst. was this morning adjourned sine die on the application of the police, who were unprepared to go on.—Balclutha correspondent.

About a year ago a number of Dunadin men who were eligible for service in the Second Division voluntarily formed a class for training in practical artillery work. Tho movement was countenanced by the Defence authorities and helped by the B Battery, that corps lending its 15poundcr guns and the non-commissioned officers giving their -services as instructors. The drilling thus started has continued to tho present, with a spell of three weeks from Christmas. A number of members of the class have left for camp or for the front, but others have taken their places, and the class is still in full activity, the members devoting each week-end to hoTse and gun drill under Sergeant-major Smith, who is assisted by Sergeants Cantroll and Stewart. The men go into camp on Saturday afternoons, and go out again on Monday mornings, and on each muster get six or sever hours' severe drill. As a result they are fitting themselves for actual service, getting their bodies strong and lithe, and also acquiring much practical, knowledge which will enable them to speedily become efficient soldiers. Tho camps are now held at Forbuiy Park. As ! Saturday afternoon was wet the weekly ! horse drill took place yesterday afternoon, and a number of friends of the members were much interested in seeing the smart way the men shaped. Eight of the present members go into camp in April They are in the A class. The final meeting of the Halifax Fimd Committee was held to-day, when it was reported by the secretary (Mr E. S. Wilson) that after liquidating all accounts there remained a credit 'balance of £llO odd. It was decided to advertise tho bal-ance-sheet and to transmit £lO5 to the Mayor of Halifax, N.S., through the Ministry of Internal Affairs by first opportunity. In all £560 has been despatched. ( New season's photographic goods; excellent stock now arriving. Cameras from 6s fend, your order early to H. J. Gill, 11 a „d 13 iredonek street, Dunedin. 'Phone 1 144 —[Advt.J ' ' The Duendin Bums Club will hold their monthly meeting- in the Art Gallery Hall 0 n Wednesday first. Members are requested to bring thoir enrolment slips. Ladies, if you wish, to have a coat-frock produced on superior lines, place your order with Ansell, Octagon.—[AdvtJ In our chess column on Saturday night we omitted to state that a Good Companion Solving Competition will be held on Friday night. Experts say: Watson's No. 10 whisky has a purity and quality altogether supreme.— [Advt.] The annual meeting of St. Kilda Public Library will be held to-morrow evening; I

For Progressive People.—"No Rubbing" Laundry Help, "Golden Rule" Soap, ideal goods for every home. Hunter and Ethendge, Ltd.—[Advt.] A demonstration of Mr Dillon's patented appliance for, automatically stopping runaway horses will be given in Lower High street next Friday from 11 a.m. uuli! noon. Persons interested in horses are ii-vited to be present to witness the demonstration and inspect tho automatic horse bolter.

Watson's No. 10 is a little dearer than most whiskies, but is worth the money.— [Advt.] J