THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1884.

New Zealand Herald, Issue XXI, 15 May 1884, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1884.

The answers returned by members of the Legislature to the circular issued by the Auckland Trades and Labour Council regarding the formation of cities into single electorates require careful consideration prior to passing a final judgment on their subject matter. Some of them have already appeared in our columns accompanied by comments suggested at the time,: but others of them, though too long for insertion, are yet sufficiently important to call for more than a passing notice. Of all the replies as yet published by the Council that of Dr. Pollen is at once the most outspoken and the most suggestive, and, "whether in accordance or otherwise with the expressed views of • the Council, is written in such a spirit of courteous frankness as is calculated to induce the working men to bestow yet further reflection on the subjects discussed. On the question of single city electorates Dr. Pollen is not only in full accord with the several Trades and Labour Councils, but is a long way in advance of. them. With logical consistency he is not only in favour of a general application of the principle, but also thinks that if, instead of having ninetyone electorates as now, there were only nine or even a smaller number, a truer representation of the people of the colony and of the general interest might be obtained than is possible under the present system. | The reason assigned by the Doctor for this reduction of the number of the electorates is that as a rule the highest recommendation of candidates for small constituencies is their supposed ability to secure for them the largest share of of what is facetiously called the " plunder." It must be admitted that there is only too much truth in this ; but it is important to enquire whether the enlargement of the electorates would be followed by any improvement. We have no hesitation in saying that, in the circumstances of New Zealand, it would not have that effect, and that on the contrary the evil complained of by the Doctor would still oxigt though on a larger scale. This much the Doctor might have been convinced of if he had more narrowly examined the reason alleged by the Trades and .Labour Council of Dunediri for that oity being. made one electorate. It is stated thus : " As the interests of all parts of the city are, in political matters, identical, such interests would be likely to receive a more united advocacy in Parliament if the city, instead of being split into four electorates, were formed into one constituency, with four members to represent it." Does not this mean that from the advocacy of four representatives bound to take the same view of local questions, Dunedin would fare better in respect of " plunder " than if represented by the same number of

members free to take independent courses 1 Of course it does j .and, un-. less there is some covert • reason, which it is riot deemed to mention, that is the "only practical advantage urged in favour of the Now, apply this principle (to the nine electorates "which. Dr. Pollen substitute in room of the existing ninetyone, and how would it operate 1 On the present basis, of population we should have five of these electorates in the South Island and four in the North. Oan anyone, who knows aught of the way in which political matters are manipulated, believe that under this arrangement the five electorates would not be so managed as to return member's all pledged to secure for the South Island the lion's share of the " plunder 1" The same objection would, moreover, apply if, as Dr. Pollen thinks, the number of electorates were fewer than nine. And even if the principle were carried out to its fullest extension, as logically it ought to be, and the whole colony constituted one constituency, the same result would happen. A combination would be formed where the population chanced to be the greatest, with the view of returning a decided majority of the prescribed number of members all pledged to secure for their part of the country the largest portion of the spoil. This operation of the principle implied in the demand for single city decorates, has also escaped the notice of Mr. Kelly, of Tarc-.naki. He pronounces in favour of the proposal, on the ground that cities may be regarded as having a community of interests; which means, of course, that if all their representatives were returned on the same ticket, these interests, as distinct from those concerning the colony as a whole, would be better seen to and furthered. Unconsciously, however, he uses language in his argument for single city electorates which is capable, whether he meant it or not, of a much wider application. His opinion is that all the electoral divisions of the colony should be so constituted as to include within them only such districts as have a community of interests. Thus, the whole of the Auckland, or Taranaki, or Canterbury Provincial District, might be formed into' one electorate, entitled to return a certain number of representatives, who, from their unity of view and feeling, would be expected to do their utmost to obtain for - it such benefits as the Legislature had to bestow. Mr. Kelly tries to preserve a certain consistency by maintaining that,. whether. it should be entitled to one member or to several members, the community of interest should alone determine the electorate. He does not, however, get rid of the evil referred to by Dr. Pollen, but only provides that it shall exist in' a variety of degrees. The more extended the community of interest", and" the larger the representation, the greater i would be the tendency of members to "" subordinate the general interest of the colony to the wants of the district and their supporters." The longer it is reflected on the less will there be found to commend the change which har> been proposed by the Trades' Council and supported by ceia tain of our representatives for the reasons mentioned. It is fraught with injury to the weaker electorates and the country as a whole. Admitting that all representatives are tempted to lose sight of the general interest in their eagerness for their electorate, it is surely better to have the evil distributed, andiso reduced to a minimum, than to have it systematised and compacted so as to become a controlling and * tyrannising power. It is therefore to be preferred that things remain as they are. With small single electorates both in town and country all parts of the colony will on the whole be better cared for, as the greater the number of individualised interests to be served the more likely is the State to be impartial in its legislation and in.the distribution of the public funds.' Of course, if the object of the proposed change is to do away with dual or plural voting, that is wholly another thing. If that is really what is aimed at it ought to have been stated, with a view of having it openly discussed. "We have restrictively dealt with the question as it was put by the Council and replied to by the members of the Legislature as calculated to promote in a higher degree the general good, and have felt constrained to reject it, as having a directly opposite tendency.