TRANSFERABLE VOTE AT MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. 293 



bring to the poll. This is the determining factor in every hotly 

 contested election. Far better would it be for the town or city 

 that its Councillors were elected on the deliberate opinion of 

 those citizens who are able to judge of the merits of the candi- 

 dates, and have independence enough to convey themselves to 

 the poll. 



19. (8th.) In place of getting the services of the most able 

 men, our choice is at present limited by the expense of the elec- 

 tion and the reluctance of many, who would make the very best 

 of Councillors, to face the expense, the work, the worry and 



• the unpleasantness of a contested election with, perhaps, an 

 inferior candidate with powerful local influence. This is the 

 reason why many of our very best citizens never for a moment 

 dream of making the sacrifices that have to be faced by every 

 member who tries to discharge the duties of a Councillor. 



20. (9th.) Lastly, it is owing to these inherent faults and 

 drawbacks of our present system that such deadly apathy exists 

 oi>the part of the citizens, not only as to the election, but also as 

 to the works and doings of the Councillors. 



The giving of the effective vote will in a short time rectify 

 all these drawbacks. 



21. In marking his ballot paper the man marked (2) is the 

 candidate nearest in his views and fitness for the post, in the 

 opinion of the voter, to the man marked ( 1). They both belong 

 to the same party, or the same ticket, where there is one. A 

 surplus vote goes thus to another candidate of the same party, 

 or ticket, or to another candidate of similar views. 



The Municipal Council is not a legislative body — its by- 

 laws even are subject to the approval of an outside authority — 

 party has no place in its working, but is for all that the main 

 influence, in most cases, in the election of its members. 



In a contest between hvo candidates no voter would dream 

 of marking a second choice on his voting paper. So we must 

 have at least three members, if a surplus vote is ever to be trans- 

 ferred ; and two of these members must belong to the same 

 party or group, in the opinion of the voter, whose vote has been 

 transferred. 



Thus, you see, for the full use of the transferable vote we 

 must have electoral areas large enough to elect three members 

 at the election. 



22. Even with this minimum, the transferable vote gives 

 true representation ; but, with only three members to be elected, 

 the opportunity of the transfer of surplus votes is also at a mini- 

 mum — only one surplus can be distributed, and only one member 

 can benefit from it. In fact, the larger the constituency and the 

 greater the number of members to be elected, the more efficiently 

 does the transferable vote work, up to the limit where the 

 number of members is not too great. 



In 1912 fifteen members were elected at Pretoria with 

 comparative ease, and with results in every way more satisfac- 



