CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Otago Witness, Issue 3556, 9 May 1922, Page 8

CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA

MR DOWNIE STEWART’S OPINIONS. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION NOT FAVOURED. AUCKLAND, May 2. Conditions in Australia were dealt with by the Hon. W. Downie Stewart. Matters appear very prosperous on the surface, he said. There Iras not occurred in Australia the same inflation in land values as has occurred in New Zealand, consequently there is not the same fall in values. At the same time, various large industries were feeline the effect of foreign competition. ‘“Notwithstanding the high tariff, there is considerable evidence of unemployment,” said Mr Stewart, “while I was in Melbourne the press reported that there were at least 12C0 married returned soldiers out of work in that city. The industrial position was greatly complicated by the various Arbitration Courts and Wages Boards in different cities, and the presence of the Federal Arbitration Court made a further complication. The difficulties of readjusting wages and hours of labour and other conditions were much greater in Australia than in New Zealand.’’ Referring to the effect of the proportional representation system in elections, Mr Stewart said, whatever the abstract merits of proportional representation might be as a means of securing a true reflex of public opinion, in point of actual practice as the system operated in New South Wales it was difficult to find supporters of it. The chief objection taken to the form adopted in New South Wales was that it magnified the importance of the machine and practically cut out independent candidates, because the electorates were so large that the expenses of a campaign were too great for the individual. Theoretically, candidates on one ticket are supposed to assist each other and to work as a team, said Mr Stewart, but in many cases what is described as a form of political cannibalism sets in, and each candidate urges the electors to give him their first preference, and uses his efforts to have the weakest candidate given the next preference. Vote so as to improve his own chances, and lessening the chances of his colleagues. The consequence is that .too many weak men are brought up near the top." Then, again, under the system of large electorates there is an enormous multiplication of correspondence, due to the fact that all the members concerned each write to the Minister about the same matter, and he, of course, has to forward replies to each. It is possible for favouritism to be shown to a certain member by notifying him earlier than the others of the" decision reached respecting the request. The first-past-the-post system, and also the second ballot had serious objections, but in view of the experience of Australia he thought the question of the substitution of proportional representation required very careful consideration before being adopted.