MR MASSEY WARNED

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8456, 16 June 1913, Page 6

MR MASSEY WARNED

On© of the most serious grievances of the New Zealand Tory press just now is that Labour is said to bo over-repre-sented in the Australian Senate. The squatters’ organ is deeply concerned over this saddening situation. Of course, no analysis of the voting on May 31st can possibly have been made by anybody yet. It is known, however, that at the previous elections in Australia, in 1910, Labour did secure the return of more Senators than its share of the total vote warranted. That is one of the accidents of the “ top man in ” system of election. The matter is causing the squatters’ organ such mental anxiety and heavy thinking that the attention of the Hon. W. F. Massey has been called to the position, and ha is gravely besought to take care, in his “ reform ” of the Legislative Council, that no such dire results as we see in Australia to-day shall be possible in New Zealand. Of course, it is well known that the squatters’ organ believes that Labour should have its “fair share” of representation (whatever that may mean), and has even been sufficiently magnanimous to urge the right of Labour to “ a place in the sun.” It is true that no Labour candidate for Parliamentary or municipal honours has ever been honoured with the advocacy of the mouthpiece of squattocracy, but that is a mere detail. While our contemporary favours the principle, of allowing Labour “ a place in the sun,” that is surely as much as can be expected from such a source; and the squatters’ organ is simply carrying ont the lofty functions for which it was created when it exposes, for Mr Massey’s special benefit, the scandalous over-representation of Labour in an Australian Chamber. The squatters’ organ is silent regarding the fact that the self-styled “ Reformers ” now in office in New Zealand have never received the support of a majority of the voters, nor I anything like a majority. Nothing is said of the circumstance that Masseyism secured only one vote out of every three at the general election eighteen months ago. Not a word appears in the squatters’ organ about the political treachery which opened the gates of the Promised Land to the “ Reformers.” No ( reference is made to the fact that the present Ministers got on to the Treasury benches by means of the votes of members who were elected to keep them off those benches. These circumstances are entirely overlooked by the squatters’ organ. And very naturally, too. Is not the strong position of Labour in the Federal Senate sufficiently disturbing, without looking to nice points about the representation of “Reform” in New Zealand ? It is the duty of our contemporary—that is what the squatters’ organ is for—to watch these great national issues abroad, and to warn Mr Massey, who stands in need of counsel, to take every possible precaution, when arranging a new constitution for the Legislative Council, to see that not under any conceivable circumstances, or combination of circumstances, shall Lahour be permitted more than its "fair share ” —its “ fair share ” according to Toryism—of representation in the Parliament.