P.R. AT WORK
Sut,—One of your readers, at least, is grateful for the detailed explanation of P.R. given by the Secretary of the P.R. Society in your last issue. One point in connection with the 2,426 votes at Cambridge classed as " non-transferable " still seems to require clarification. When the votes of Dr. Hill were being transferred, what happened to papers on which the second preference was given to the Air Commodore who was already out of the running? Presumably, such papers were transferred in accordance with the third (or fourth) preference, if expressed, and the same procedure would be followed in cases where the second preference was for Dr. Pickthorn, who already had his quota. The " non-transfer- able " votes would then be those of electors who had not expressed any second preference or who had not gone far enough down the list. Perhaps Mr. Humphreys will be good enough to complete our political education in this respect so that we may come up to the level of the Kr) Our correspondent is right in thinking that the third preference is substituted for the second when the latter has been cast either for a candidate who has already obtained his quota or for one already eliminated. (2) The distribution of Hill's votes was final and decisive, because only Harris and Priestley remained, and one of them had to be elected. His votes, therefore, went to whichever of the two was the higher on each voting paper, regardless of whether the preference was second, third or fourth.—ED., Spectator.]
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