582 Report S.A.A. AovAxciiMENT of Scienck. 



Snccessfid Candidates. 



Garrett ... ... 47,858 



Huxlev 13,494 



Thorold 12,186 



Angiss 11,472 



Hutchins 9253 



Dixon 9031 



Watson ... ... 8355 



15 unsuccessful. 



Miss Garrett, who heads the poll, had such a tremendous majority 

 ■over all others that she spoiled the chances of her own supporters; 

 therefore a large number of votes — probably as high as 38,000 votes 

 — were absolutely lost. 



The cumulative vote, so far as I kncjw, is not employed for the 

 election of members to any popular parliament.* It can only be made 

 applicable to very large constituencies, and the net result invariably is 

 that the very popular man simply spoils the chances of his own party. 

 For political purposes, at any rate, the system is quite impracticable. 



The last system which I shall consider is that of 



(e) Proportional Representation. 



Under this system each elector has one vote, but to avoid the loss 

 of voting power which might otherwise ensue, it is provided that each 

 elector, though he has only one operative vote, may indicate on the 

 ballot papers other candidates in the order of his prefeience, to whom 

 he would wish his vote to be transferred in case it is not reijuired by 

 the candidate of his choice. The system is only applicable to con- 

 stituencies of three or more members, and five-member constituencies 

 work very satisfactoril}'^ in practice. Suppose, for instance, that Cape- 

 town or Johannesburg for parliamentary purposes were divided into 

 two large constituencies each returning five members. It would be 

 possible under the system of pr(jp<jrtional lepresentation for five dif- 

 ferent bodies of public opinion to have representation. The elector 

 in a single-member constituency (jr ward is frecjuentl}' in a \ ery great 

 dilemma. Two candidates appeal for his support, and when there are 

 only two they are not infretjuently extremists, or at least extreme 

 party men. He does not feel in sympathy with either, consecjuently 

 he generally abstains from voting altogether. If a third or a fourth 

 candidate enters the field, the final i*esult is also unsatisfactory, for the 

 vote is split, and more often than not a quite insignificant minority 

 secures representation, so that the lepresentative returned can only 

 speak foi- a small Ixxly of electors. When the election is conducted on 



It is used in the election to the Le;;islative Council in ( "ape < 'olony. — Ku. 



