The Star. FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1913. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10770, 16 May 1913, Page 2

The Star. FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1913. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.

Tliere is reason to fear that the Government is weakening now on the subject of electoral reforn*. To commence with, it is talking of postponing the amendment of tho electoral laws until next session. At any rate Mr Massey does not include the question among those of pressing importance, and perhaps next session he will decide that the time is too short for the discussion of so important a matter. Then there are signs that the Reform Party's zeal for proportional representation is cooling. The Reformers have • never really been in love with the logical method of electing the people's representatives, hut they wore hound to talk proportional representation because the Prime Minister had announced himself as a convert. From time to time, however, the organs of the party express doujbts as to the operation of the system, and show by their comments that they neither like nor understand it. The reason for the dislike is not far to seek. The progressive elements in the community ..outnumber the retrogressive elements, as one would expect them to do in a young and progressive country. At the last general elections the disorganisation of the old Liberal Party and an unholy combination of the Conservative and Labour forces in some districts left parties so evenly divided in Parliament that the Conservatives, as the result of intrigues and personal jealousies, were able to get into office. The Government that is -now in power represents a party that by no stretch of imagination can be regarded as representative of a majority of the people. In these circumstances the Government's supporters are not likely to favour a system of election that would give each section of the community a fair measure of representation. Mr Massey V friends -would never allow him to carry through a full system of proportional representation, and if a proportional representation Bill is introduced into Parliament ii) any form—which may be doubted—it will be only a ludicrous travesty of reform, designed to prevent groups like the Socialists from obtaining any representation. One of the Reform journals has been quoting with approval an article from the London "Times" on the subject of the Tasmanian elections. Now the London " Times " is not free from prejudice, and, like every other newspaper, it has to be instructed on occasions. This is apparently one of the subjects on which it needs instruction. All sorts of fanciful results can be obtained by a system of proportional representation if the electors go looking for them. An instance is quoted in which electors, by failing to vote for men whom they want to see elected, return to Parliament men who were less desir--1 able representatives. But- while this may be an indictment of the common-' sense of the electors it is certainly no reflection on the system. No man can o-et into Parliament under proportional representation unless he gets the requisite number of votes and the way to secure the election of a particular candidate is to vote for him. This rule holds good of every voting system. Some people, and some Reform journals, twist their brains into curious shapes in trying to imagine what would happen if people did not vote for the candidates of their choice, but sensible people take it for granted that if a man votes for a particular candidate he wants to sec that candidate elected. This statement may appear to be very axiomatic .and superfluous, but Reform journals tak* quite a- different view when they print articles on proportional representation.