ELECTORAL REFORM.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 153, 2 July 1914, Page 4

ELECTORAL REFORM.

;xt «■ i y OSSI'P" recorder of the* ! » JNew Zealand Times mentions eomo ' . curious rumors which, ho says, are in cirrailation with regard to the intentions of the Government as to elec- '

toral reform. According to the Times, Uhe country Members of Mr Massey's : party have, since their return to Wellington, made no secret of their oppo- ; sition to what is understood ix>_ bt> tiae ■ Government's i>roject of grouping the \ city electorates, their, objection being : based upon the general principle that , there should be no electoral differenj tiation between city <and country. Our ; contemporary asserts that the objec- ] tions of {die country Members to any \ dual system have, proved so strong ; that a bluff is likely to be used during ] the session for the Government to | keep faith jvith the people of the Do- ; minion in connection with its platl form pledges. "Reform/ 7 says the Times, "is pledged to repeal the second ballot and to replace it with a better system. It will keep its pledge —in a way—by introducing a measure \ containing a proposal fo group the | city electorates, with the application jof 'tlie'preferential vote, but this ' measure will be 'killed' by the objecting country Members. The 'killing, of course, will be a matter of pre^arrangement between the Government I and its country adherents." We give 1 the foregoing rumor for what it is worth. For our own part we fail to see why. ; .the country Members should ob t it- be that they- fear

-gect., cep. that the grouping of the city electorates may result in seats falling to the Labor party which they so greatly distrust. But, as against this, it may bo. argued that Mr Massey is hardly likely to propose such grouping unless he and his colleagues had come to the conclusion that the change \yould not! imperil any Government seats.