POLITICAL NOTES

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14771, 10 October 1921, Page 6

POLITICAL NOTES

THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM. OPPOSITION DEMANDS REFORM. GOVERNMENT BY MINORITY'. (By Telegraph.—Special to Times). WELLINGTON, Saturday. Somewhat talc in Ihe day the Liberal Opposition is making a concerted demand for electoral reform. A number of the members of the party have referred to the subject in the House during the last day or two, contending that the Government holds office by the will of a minority of the electors, but none of them has indicated very clearly what he would have in place of the “first'past the post” system. Proportional representation is not in favour with the present House. Members realise that it would involve an appeal to large constitulcncics, discount the value of the "loaves and fishes’’ politician and necessitate a broader outlook upon public affairs. But apart from these considerations, there is a natural reluctance on the part of many members to quarrel with the system that earned them Into Parliament. Most of those who arc really anxious for reform pin their faith on preferential voting, which, while preserving the single electorates, and avoiding the expense and delay inseparable from the second ballot, would prevent the vote-splitting from which minorities can attain to office. Public Expenditure. The*debate on the Addrcss-in-Rcply was punctuated with appeals for economy in public expenditure from beginning to end. The mover’s first words struck this note, and his last reiterated it, while almost every other member joined heartily in the chorus. Mr Massey did not speak in the debate, but at the welcome extended to him by members of both Houses, on Wednesday, he made it quite plain he intended to give Parliament a lead on this matter. “The chief business of the present session of Parliament.’’ the report of his remarks runs, “would be to so arrange matters that the Dominion’s expenditure would bo kept within its revenue. When that had been achieved, it would be possible to reduce the taxation of those who were over-burdened at I he present moment.” The Prime Minister added by way of emphasis that no country could prosper under an undue burden of taxation, and that the relief of_Lhc Dominion in this respect was the first duty of Parliament. Obviously he has drastic measures in view. More About Cement. In the House, on Wednesday, the member for Stratford smiled broadly as first Mr W. D. Lysnar, the Independent member for Gisborne, and then Mr R. P. Hudson, the Reform member for Motueka, gave countenance to his allegations concerning the operations of the cement companies and the inactivity of the Board of Trade. On the previous day Hon. E. P. Lee, the Minister of Industries and Commerce, had spoken lightly of Mr Masters’ allegations, and had not been particularly happy in his allusion Lo their author’s motives in making them. Mr Lysnar- i confined himself to expressing rogr.et that the Minister had attempted to , justify the agreement between the corn- : I anics, and to cast discre lit upon Mr Masters’ purpose. But Hie meminv ior I Motcuka, speaking from a seal just be- i hind the Minister, made that gentleman look extremely uncomfortah'c to say- j ing he ho',' in his hand a letter which slppcarod to confirm Mr Masters’ allegations. Mr Hudson dd not wish to , tak • sides in the matter, but he I thought it would lie “nicer” had the : Minister ticat d the challenge from Hr- member for Stratford in a somewhat different way.

Tho Government’s Position. Tlic fate of the two hostile amendments to the Addrcss-in-Reply show the strength of ttie Government’s position to be unimpaired by any of the attacks made upon it by medley Oppositions. This is all the more signifleent in view of the fact that the Oppositions between them possess practically all tho debating power in the House, and arc not without a considerable amount of ammunition that would have proved effective in the old party fighting days. As it is the Government may claim to have ralher improved its position than otherwise. Mr Statham, the leader of the Progressive Liberal and Moderate Labour Party, and Mr Vigor Brown, the member tv Napier, abstained from voting m (ither division, the former because he wished to demonstrate tie load no more sympathy with other sections of the Opposition than he had with the Government, and the latter, it would seem, because he has no party attachments except to the member for Napier. Probably never before in the history of the Dominion has a leader had such an untrammelled hand in Parliament a i: Mr Massey has to-day. With this, of course, comes the greater responsibility.