CORRESPONDENCE.

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION: AN ILLUSTRATIVE ELECTION.

[To THZ EDITOR OT THE " SPECTATOR."] SER,—A few years ago the advocates of proportional repre- sentation were still regarded as a group of faddists. Two years ago, Lord Lansdowne adopted their proposals for all elections under his House of Lords Reconstitution Bill. To-day they have been accepted by the responsible Govern- ment of this country for the election of an Irish Senate. The decision in each case was due to the need of making provision for the representation of minorities. For similar reasons, the Governments of New Zealand and West Australia have during the past session submitted to their Parliaments Bills for the reform of the Upper House on an elective basis. Again, the method of election chosen is the single transferable vote. These are substantial advances, and, further, there is behind the movement in this country a Parliamentary Committee of more than seventy members. This Committee is steadily increasing, and its ambition is to secure the recognition of just principles of representation in those constitutional and electoral reforms to which Parliament, whichever Government is in power, must give its attention.

Obviously both politicians and the public must make them- selves acquainted with Proportional Representation. Even those members of Parliament who profess complete ignorance must learn a little of what it means. For the purpose of instruction nothing is more effective than an election, and through the courtesy of the editor the Proportional Repre- sentation Society is enabled to invite the readers of the Spectator to take part in the new demonstration which is being held this week. At the end of this article will be found a ballot paper containing the names of well-known candidates belonging to the Unionist, Liberal, Labour, and Nationalist parties. Every reader is invited to vote in accordance with the instructions at the foot of the paper, and to forward it, when voted upon, to Caxton Hall, where the votes will be counted.

The present method of election lamentably fails to elicit the national will in respect of public questions. The elector is not given a reasonable choice in the selection of a repre- sentative, nor is he given a guarantee that, if he goes to the poll, his vote shall be of equal value with those of other electors in influencing the composition of the national assembly. Unionist Free Traders have oftentimes felt the benumbing effects of the present electoral system. Encouraged as citizens to form a considered judgment upon the political questions of the day, they find at the time of election no oppor- tunity of expressing their views. They are usually limited in their choice between a Free Trade Home Ruler or an advocate of Tariff Reform. Others find themselves in similar plight. A Liberal Suffragist in the constituency of East Fife must choose between a Unionist candidate on the one hand and the Prime Minister on the other. He must forgo either his views on the suffrage question or those on Free Trade. The House of Commons which emerges from such elections cannot claim to be representative.

Nor does the present system guarantee equality in the value of votes. The minority in each constituency is ignored

and this is the case whether the minority is large or small. There cannot therefore be any certainty that the result of an election will faithfully reflect the views of those taking part. It will depend not upon the voting strength of parties, but upon the way in which their forces are distributed. Con- sider the varying fates of minorities in different parts of the country. The Unionists in Ireland number 147,000; they obtain nineteen seats. The Unionists in Scotland number 277,000; they obtain eleven seats. Why this difference ? In Ireland the Unionists are concentrated, and in the North-East can transform themselves into local majorities, for each of which they win one representative. The far larger body of Scottish Unionists are scattered throughout Scotland. It is with difficulty that they poll a majority of votes in any con- stituency, and indeed it is only by accident that they obtain any representation. But this is not the only charge that can be made against the present system. Not only does it deprive minorities of representation, but, what is equally unfair and undesirable, it sometimes gives to them more than their share. One party may win a constituency by two thousand votes; its opponents may win the adjacent two constituencies by two hundred votes. What is the net result ? The small party wins two seats out of three. It is due to accidents of this kind that a minority of voters can return and, on more than one occasion has returned, a majority of the representa- tives.

The proportional system guarantees equality in the value of votes and gives to electors a wide choice in the selection of their representatives. For this purpose it is necessary to divide the Kingdom up into large natural constituencies, each returning a number of representatives in proportion to its population. Thus, according to the Proportional Representa- tion Bill, introduced this session into the House of Commons, it is proposed that Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester shall be separate constituencies returning respectively eleven, ten, and nine members. In this newspaper election seven members are to be chosen. The elector can select from twelve candidates representing different shades of opinion. In a real election perhaps even more candidates would stand. Each elector has but one vote, which he marks by placing the figure " 1 " against the name of the candidate he most desires to see elected. A candidate will not require the support of a majority. If he secures the support of one-seventh of those voting, his election will be certain.

In order to-ensure accurate representation this single vote is made transferable, but transferable only to such candidates as the elector may name. The object is to prevent wastage of votes. When the elector enters the polling booth he does not know whether the man for whom he intends to vote will get more votes than he requires to ensure election or will obtain so few as to be hopelessly out of the running. The elector naturally does not want to throw away his vote, and he can ensure its effective use by indicating his second, his third and further choices on the ballot paper. These preferences serve as instructions to the Returning Officer, who carries out quite strictly the wishes of the elector. He will credit the vote to the candidate marked with the figure 1. It will remain the property of this candidate if he needs it for his own election. If he has more than enough votes, or if he has no chance of winning, the Returning Officer will carry the vote forward to the candidate whom the elector has marked his second choice. If the second choice cannot make use of it effectively the Returning Officer will transfer the vote to the third choice, and so on. A full explanation as to how the results of the election are obtained and how votes are transferred will appear in next week's Spectator. The duty of to-day is to vote.—I am,

Secretary, Proportional Representation Society. 179 St. Stephen's Haase, Westminster, S. W.

THE P. R. ELECTION, 1912,

BALLOT PAPIIH.

YOU ARE REQUESTED TO VOTE.

The object of this election is to illustrate the practical working of a system of proportional representation (the single transferable vote). The election is supposed to be held over a constituency which returns seven members of Parliament, and it is assumed that the following twelve candidates have been nominated. INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTERS.

Place the figure 1 opposite the candidate you like best. You are also invited to place—

The figure 2 opposite the name of your second choice.

The figure 3 opposite the name of your third choice, and so on, numbering as many candidates as you please in the order of your preference.

Nora.—The paper will be valid if only the figure I is marked, but voters are advised to number in the order of their preference the names of all candidates whom they would desire to see elected. The paper will be spoiled if the figure 1 is placed opposite the name of more than one candidate.

This ballot paper should be filled in and posted as early as possible and not later than Monday morning, December 2nd, 1912, in open envelope (halfpenny rate) to

Order of Prefer- ence.

Names of Candidates.

AMERY, L. S.

BARNES, Geo. N.

BURT, The Rt. Hon. Thomas

CARSON, The Rt. Hon. Sir E. H.

CECIL, Lord Robert

CHAMBERLAIN, The Rt. Hon. J. Austen

GEORGE, The Rt. Hon. D. Lloyd

GREY, The Rt. Hon. Sir Edward

LAW, The Rt. Hon. A. Bonar

MOND, Sir Alfred

REDMOND, John

SNOWDEN, Philip

The Rt. Hon. LORD .A.VEBITRY, Caxton Hall, Westminster, London, S.W.