380 Kkpokt S.A.A. Auvaxokment of Scienck. 



I come next to 



{b) SiNCiLE Member Constituencies, ok Wahds, e.acii Elector hav- 

 ing ONE Vote; the Candidate to secure Election must 



ORTAIN AN ABSOLUTE MaJORITV OF THE VOTES RECORDED — THUS 

 INTRODUCING THE PRINCIPLE OF THE 8eCOND RaLLOT. 



On paper tliis seems a much more equitable syste)n tlian the 

 previous one, and in House of Commons debates it lias met with a 

 certain amount of favour, but there are many and serious objections 

 against it. In the first place, it is very expensive, as it is found in 

 practice that a great many second ballots are necessary. Then, again, 

 it takes a long time before the public can know the party which is to 

 be in power, and it piolongs the excitement which always acc<jmpanies 

 elections, more particularly when the contests are carried out on acri- 

 monious lines. This is naturally inimical to industry ajid to progress 

 of whatever kind. Tiie greatest objection of all, however, is tiiat it 

 does not secure proper representation of minorities — indeed, it is worse 

 in this respect than the previous system. As an example of this I 

 may <|uote the results of last year's elections for the German Reichstag. 

 Numerically the Social Democratic party — I have nothing to do with 

 their principles — were stronger than any other single party ; yet through 

 a combination of the other paities, principally at the second ballot, the 

 Social Democrats only managed to secure thirty odd seats — a much 

 smaller representation than in the previous Parliament, although it 

 was generally conceded that their principles had made proiiress in the 

 interval. T am aware that the distribution of seats in Germany tends 

 to accentuate this anomaly, but on the voting strength the Social 

 Democrats wei'e entitled to at least three times as many seats as they 

 obtained. Indeed, Germany only retains her system because it suits 

 her, and she is (piite entitled to do as she pleases i?i regard to this 

 matter. 



Practically the same system obtains in France, both for the 

 Assembly and municipalities, and if ] were to (juote figures they 

 would only further illustrate the anomalies produced. Indeed, in 

 Fiance itself tlie weakness of the system has been generally recog- 

 nised, and the dissatisfaction with it is so gene'ral that it is i)u tlie 

 point of being abandoiu'd. 



I have now reached the third system, 



{<:) "ScRUTiN Die Llstk," or (jIenkhal Ticket. 



This is a system which has had very excellent and very bad 

 results. Under it the constituencies must be large, and every elector 

 has a number of votes equal to the numljer of members to be returned, 

 but can only give one vote to any one candidate. This system was 

 adopted by tJohannesburg after the Nominate<l Council finished its 

 career, but after a short experience it was abandoned for the ward 

 ^stem, i.e. the first one which I have described. For the purpose of 



