The Star. Delivered every evening by 6 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, and Waverley. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1912. THE GERMAN ELECTIONS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 22 January 1912, Page 4

The Star. Delivered every evening by 6 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, and Waverley. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1912. THE GERMAN ELECTIONS.

. -__ « : Partly on account of Germany's importance as a nation, but more so in consequence of the constitutional issues which are involved, the German elections are of very unusual interest. The first ballots were held on the 12th of the present month, and may be . looked on as having given a fairly trustworthy indication. This is to the effect that, of the five great parties in the Empire, the Social Democrats stand highest in the preference of the people. Every man over 25 years of age has a right to vote, and the voting at the polls on. the 12th was for— Social Democrats 4,238,000 Centre ■■'. ..2,012,000 National-Liberals 1,671,000 Radicals 1,556,000 Conservatives 1,159,000 Roughly put, the election is being fought between the Conservatives (the

Government party) and 43ie Centre .'(Clerical and Catholic) on .the. one side in combination, azuLthe Social. xDfunocrats^ National-Liberals, '^nd "Radicals' (more or less in agreement) on the other side. Thus as the votes stand, the German people are not with the parties favorable to the Government, and did the parliamentary representation correspond with the voting, the largest party group in the Reichstag would consist of Social Democrats, who would number a fourth more than the Conservatives and the Centre together, while the other two groups would be equal to the Centre and Conservatives. But the seats are still apportioned on the basis of the distribution of forty years ago, and the Conservatives gain disproportionately by the fact. The reason is that, within the past forty years, the population has increased most in the towns and the industrial areas, where the Social Democrats are strong, and least in the eastern parts of the country, where agriculture prevails and the Conser68*1* masters of the. position; ■while the towns and the great indus! ' trial areas are still entitled to iio more members in the Reichstag than they were forty years ago. Thus the democratic principle of representation in proportion to population is yiolated, though the franchise is democratic in so tar as it is based on adult manhood Hence the anomaly that, in a country with constitutional Government and a democratic franchise, and with the overwhelming majority of the voters democratic ..too, the administration is in the hands of a parliamentary inanity elected by the Conservative minority m the. constituency. This state of things would certainly not be allowed to continue m a British country. However, even with tilings as they are Germany does not go backward; a testimony •: p er h aps to the truth of the philosophy suggested by Goldsmith's couplet— , How small of all that human hearts endure ffhe part that kings or laws can cause or cure. * ft Of course, in a country like Germany, the administration even in the hands of the Conservatives must make large concessions to popular aims and ideals and were the Social Democrats in power it is not likely that they would allow^ the national edifice built up by the Conservatives to become weak far less purposely weaken it. They do not dream of establishing a golden age by means of academic legislation, and their paramount present purpose is to improve the conditions of actual life for the people; but Dr Schone—a German gentleman now on a visit to New Zealand—says that the chief immediate result of their success at the polls is likely to be merely an increase in the death duties. It is nearly seventy years since John Stuart Mill became the apostle of death duties in England where they have long been in, vogue as well as in New Zealand and other British dominions. Over twenty years ago, Mr £. D. Bell—politically one of the precursors of the Reform partyproposed that the death duties should be steadily raised in New Zealand to an extent that would, by degrees, make it impossible for individuals to inherit large fortunes; so that, in New Zealand, at anyrate, there will be no nervous apprehension on Germany's account in consequence of the increase in Social Democracy in that great country As Dr Schone says, there is no doubt that Germany will continue to get on very well in any case, whatever the final party results of the present elections may be; and, indeed, no other conclusion- is in keeping with common sense and the character of the German people.