PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 16 November 1922, Page 3

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION

(To the Editor)

Sir, —Mr Moffatt in saying that I am j misleading Urn electors is wrong, as my { only object is to call attention to 11 10 harm Proportional Representation will do to our own district, and tho matter is too serious for us to malm it a party question. Surely lie does not infer that; a political question should not. bo discussed before an election, when would he have it discussed, after? He does not attempt to refute .anything 1 have written, to say that many educationists, etc., are in favour of it is no argument, as there are quite as many against it. ]f it is the success Mr .Moffatt would have us believe, why have all of thej municipalities in England that adopted t it, after trial, now discarded it? and [ why is it that the Party in N.S.W. that • inaugurated it there, are more eager to | repeal it than they were to make it ( Jaw. I' agree that it is too complicated j with all its variations, to be dealt with i in a letter to a newspaper. Hus Mr 1 Moffatt ever road of any of his author!-! lies saying that it is possible to get a j correct*proportion with three electorates, as is being done in New Zealand? !■ never have. The enlightened Reform Party advocated tin* division of the electorates as being two for each Island 1 nut the absurd three group. Mr Al- - tells ns that the Nelson group will ’ consist of Wairau, Nelson and Molueka. Now to say that one must plead absolute ignorance of the geography of (heir own country, as Westland ami Puller would have to absorb Motneka, without a more ridiculous combination, than as i he says, Nelson would he tacked on to Wellington, by one of the Canterbury electorates having In he put in with Westland and Puller. With the present number of members, 32, in (bo South Island it would be imperative that part of Wellington district comes fn with Nelson, or alternatively adding another; member, should then certainly have Nelson combined with Wairau and Hnrunui, which would he infinitely more detrimental to our district than being in with Wellington, os with Wairau amj.

Hurumii combined against us. we should have no hope of getting a Nelson resident as member. There are maiiV oilier valid reasons T could give, but ) uiust not trespass on your space too much,Electors, think before voting to practically disfranchise your district. I tint_ eP'ALFRED V. ALL!’OR i ■Stoke, 15111/22.