PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.
[TO THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR ."]
SIR,—The Spectator has been so good a friend to the P.R. movement that I am emboldened to write to you to see if I can get help from your readers in the present difficulty. P.R. is spreading very successfully and proving its value all over the world; but unfortunately at this very time there is a grave danger that the efforts to convert England will have to be largely abandoned for want of funds to keep even the present small organization going. The P.R. Society has never had a proper list of subscribers. For a long time it worked in a very small way. In 1919, '20 and '21 its income was about £4,000 each year, more than half of this was in each case made up by two or three big donations. Unhappily, the people who gave those donations are not in a position to repeat them this year. Our staff is four highly skilled workers and three clerks, and it Is in imminent danger of being broken up and scattered. I recently gave up the chairmanship and took the position of treasurer in order to get together a long list of small subscribers, the only proper basis for such a propaganda. The great depression of trade and other impediments have, however, made this a much longer business that I had hoped. I do not doubt I shall achieve it by some time next year, but meanwhile we are faced with a yawning gap between now and December 31st. -Unless we can get about £500 in addition to what we already have in view we must inevitably greatly reduce our already small operations. These, I can assure you, have altays been carried out with the greatest care and economy. I am certain there must be many people among your readers who would be willing to join in the effort if they knew how urgent the case was, and if it had your com- mendation. Happily our movement is one which appeals to men and women of all shades of politics. I am sure money could not be spent in any other way to produce a greater result for good upon the publio life of our country..—I am, Sir, &c.,
Assuan; WILLIAM, Hon. Treasurer. Proportional Representation Society, 82 Victoria Street, S.W. 1.
[Unquestionably the P.R. has our commendation. Though the Referendum is our chief remedy for freeing Democracy from the evils of the Party system, we also want P.R. as an auxiliary antiseptic. We sincerely trust, therefore, that Mr. Aneurin Williams's appeal will not be in vain.—En. Spectator.]
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