PREFERENTIAL VOTING ADVOCATED.

Otago Witness, Issue 3006, 25 October 1911, Page 59

PREFERENTIAL VOTING ADVOCATED.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, October 18. Some attention was devoted to the subiect of preferential voting in the House of Representatives this evening, when members were discussing the Local Election Amendment Bill. A lead was given by Mr Massey, who advocated the adoption of a system of preferential voting for local elections with a view to its extension to parliamentary elections. "Before long we shall adopt a system of preferential voting for the return of members of Parliament," was the opinion of Mr Hogan. "The Minister in-charge

of the bill should seriously consider the adoption of preferential voting when we reach the committee stage of this bill." Mr Anderson described the preferential voting system as the fairest possible way of determining an election* It had been proved highly successful by municipalities in South Africa. * The Hon. D. Buddo replied that preferential voting was not applicable to local elections in country areas, but he agreed that it might be useful in cities, where a large number of members had to be elected at one time. He suggested that the present method was preferential, as the wishes of the electors were indicated by the manner .in which their votes were distributed