PRUSSIAN FRANCHISE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14301, 22 February 1910, Page 5

PRUSSIAN FRANCHISE.

RIOTS AT FRANKFORT.

SABRES AND PISTOLS USED.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.— Berlin, February 20. . Renewed demonstrations against the new Franchise Bill of Prussia have occurred n't Frankfort, where the struggles have been worse than in Berlin.

Twenty * police were injured by stones and bottles, and 50 demonstrators were wounded, and are suffering from sabre cuts . and pistol shots.

The Frankfurter Zeitung states that the police were long patient with the mob, but the rowdiest section finally overstepped all bounds, and the < police made charges wherever shouts were raised!, -sabring and clubbing ' innocent . and guilty. ' ' - •

THE VOTING SYSTEM. The franchise system of Prussia is complicated. Every Prussian who has attained his 25th year and is qualified to vote for the municipal elections of his place of domicile is eligible to vote as an indirect elector. Persons who arc entitled to vote for municipal elections in several parishes . can only "exercise the ' right < of indirect elector, or ' ' Urwaliler," in one. One direct elector, or " Wahimann," is elected from every complete number of 250 souls. The indirect electors are divided into three classes, according to the respective /imount of direct taxes paid by each arranged in such a manner .that each category pays one-third of the whole amount of direct taxes levied on the whole. The first category consists of all electors who pay the highest taxes to the 'amount of one-third of the whole the second of those who pay the next highest amount down to the limits of the ' second third; the third of all the lowest taxed, who together complete the last class. The representatives are chosen by the direct electors. - ' - ' ' The Prussian Governmtnt recently published its statistical -investigation int» the franchise system of the kingdom. "It appears (writes the Saturday • Review) that of the three classes of equal political power into which the electorate is divided, class 1 contains 4 per cent., class 2 14 per cent., and class 3 82 per cent, of the voters. The ; utmost that can be said officially in defence of this arrangement is that class 2 contains many members of the lower middle classes, whose power would be diminished bv any change. It appears also that a vote in the country is worth three to ten times as much as a vote in the town,, and that the town'population returns less than one-third of the Diet. It appears finally that , the system of open voting has been productive of so much intimidation that it is rare for as many as 33 per cent, of the electors to go to the poll. If ; Parliamentary institutions ; are regarded 'seriously, by the powers that be in Germany point which is certainly open to question —the 'case for reform may now be regarded as complete."