THE SEAMEN'S VOTE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11207, 13 October 1914, Page 8

THE SEAMEN'S VOTE.

A THREATENED MINISTER. "BILL TO SAVE HIS BACON." INTERESTING R-VEL'JIINS. (Special to the. "Star.") WELLINGTON, October 12. A movement known to bo in progress amongvNew Zealand soamen to roncentrato their votes in AYclhugtou Central, now represented by the lion I<\ M. B. Fisher, has booyi met in an .'amendment of the Legislature Act now before Parliament. iUr Eishor, who is Minister in charge of tho Electoral Department, explained his Bill on the second reading to-night, referring to clause 7 as the most important in the' measure. Though the Minister did not put it in theso words its effect is to transfer a big volume of throat-cu-ing votes away from the Minister's uncertain electorate to Wellington North, where another Minister enjoyed such a large majority, last election that it is presumed he will not ha affected by the unwelcome influx. In explaining tho clause Mr Fisher 6aid that the ordinary elector had to live twelve months in the country and three months in an electorate before qualifying for a vote, but a sailor , on a New Zealand ship could 'como here yesterday, vote to-day, and leave the country to-morrow. This privilege ought to be distributed. The new clause provided that tho seaman should be registered where he is domicilied, or if domiciled on his ship, then lie , must vote in a port where his ship is Calling and vote m the district in which is situated the office of the Collector of Customs. Mr Wilford: Which electorate is that in Wellington? i The Minister: Wellington North. ■; Mr Wilford: Ah, Just as I thought. • < " THE TRUE INWARDNESS." Mr Russell commented on the prominence given to theatrical voting. The Electoral Minister was, -he suggested, a connoisseur in theatrical matters, and he might he specially interested in some company which would give him a block vote. There ought to become guarantee as to where theatrical people were to vote. "The true inwardness of this Bill is in the seamen's vote," declared Mr Russell. I"-The seamen will not, be allowed to •'vote in the Minister's electorate. Such is the feeling of the seamen of New Zealand towards the Minister of Marine that a very large number of "seamen trading on the coast have registered in Wellington Central because they want to wipe him, off the political map. (Hear, hear.) This little Bill is intended to transfer the whole of these votes from his electorate into one where the Tory party is a great deal stronger than in Wellington ■ Central." Mr Bradney: What's wrong about 'it?

Mr Russell: It has always been your polioy to try to gerrymander with the 'electoral system. We saw thitt in connection with the second brtllot and the" breaking of the solemn promise to provide a substitute. This Bill should be christened "A Bill to try to save the bacon of the Hon F. M. 1 B. Fisher." Mr Wilford: Do you think it is a .compromise because of the abandonment .of the grouped city constituencies? _ ' , Mr Russell replied that this was yery - likely. The Government seemed to have abandoned the Bill it had on the earlier in the session to, group :|he city constituencies. _ There was a "strong man in the Ministry who said -be was not going to hand over his .majority in order to carry the minority of the Minister of Marine.

"VERY ALERT." ' Mr Forbes said that the introduction of any electoral amendment into the House by, the present Government behoved the Opposition to be very alert, '•jfis past experience had shown. After .commenting on the benefit likely to rccrue to Mr Fisher by the removal of ■unwelcome votes, he suggested "that in Auckland Mr Bradney might be eased of possible voting strain by the shifting of the seamen's votes to some other city electorate. Where would they go in Auckland ? The Prime Minister : To Albert Edward. A Member: He can stand them. \ (Laughter.) Mr Forbes: Why do not the members of the Government party admit that they came into this House pledged to clean, straight-out government and not for gerrymandering of this sort? Why attach themselves to miserable trickfe of this brand? They are making a name for themselves that will stink in the nostrils of the people long after they have sunk into oblivion. (Opposition applause and derisive Government laughter.) Mr T. W. Rhodes said he could not understand any right-minded person objecting to the clause. Why should seamen nave the choice of several electorates? If they had. no settled home then they had tne opportunity of voting where their vessel usually called- in | the electorate in which the Customs Office was situated. I " IMMORALITY OF-THE SEAMEN'S VOTE." Mr Bradney (Auckland West) ..declared that the- clause had not been put in by the Minister alone. He had' personally pointed out the absolute immorality of the - seamen's vote. # At the solicitation of a leader or agitator or the head of a union " the whole seamen's vote could be*bumped into one electorate. That had been done, and the result made it possible for an adventurer, a man who came into the country in the last shower, from America maybeThe Minister of Marine: No one knowing him. Mr Bradney: Yes. Fluent and popular with the mob he gets five hundred votes and puts a good man out. Mr Forbes: Has that occurred? - Mr'Bradney: Yes. 1 am not going to use names. When interested parties tried' to ascertain in Auckland •where the votes of the coastal seamen had been registered last election they found that they were a bit late. The rotes had been "caught" at Gisborne, because there was a possibility of Gis"borne going dry. . Mr Sidev stated that the clause enly reduced by a small amount,, the ' chances of concentrating the votes. The opportunities were only cut down in the four chief ports. MR FISHER REPLIES. The Minister in reply said it was never contemplated that the seamen would concentrate their votes in one electorate. ■ This was taking a most improper advantage of a privilege given them by an over-generous legislature, hi response to a v suggestion that seamen should be compelled to vote in , the district where they signed their • articles, he expressed the opinion that it was a good suggestion, better even than the one proposed in the Bill, and he would consider it. The Bill was read a second time on the voices.