PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 13 November 1922, Page 3

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION

(To tho Editor)

Sit-,—Mr Will'ord gave it out the other day and Mr Atmore at. his meeting at Stoke last night, in answer to a question, said that they intended to .support Proportional Representation, with groups of three electorates. i should like- to ask, Sir, where can any Proportional Rcpresentatin come in, when tliere are tliree main parties Aviih ■several minor ones in the politics of New Zealand at the present time? As they have become committed to this change and can now find that the working of the larger groups is quite too unwieldy, they are trying to make the people believe that the three standard is workable and an improvement on the present system. They say that it is going to do away with minority rule, and that that the representatives will be in proportion to the votes cast for each [party. The following figures will show clearly that this cannot be done with the three group system. Take the number of electors in the three elec t orates as 15,000. I am using round numbers, and we get these votes cast for Refm-rti 6010. Labour 5980, Liberal 3010, this leaves 5970 unrepresented voters, although the Liberal with 3010 votes gets' elected. Where then docs their proposal show any improvement on the present, system.'although [ admit that it is not perfect, still under the law of averages it will be found to work out nearer correct than Proportional representation with groups of three. Then we are asked to put our confidence in men that are capable of evolving a system (hat anv fourth standard school hoy could tell them was unworkable. I inn, etc.. A. V. ALLPOKT. Moke. November 11th 1922.