402 KLKCTORAL REFORM PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. 



public will entail. Instead of a voter having only a choice, as 

 often now, between two candidates, neither of whom he would 

 himself prefer, every voter all over the country has the chance 

 of selecting his candidates from the best men willing to serve. 

 The field for the selection of candidates is widened. With 

 the present necessary election expenses, some aspiring farmer, 

 for example, who has taken a prominent part in doing public 

 work among his fellows, promoting an agricultural society, or 

 trying experiments to find breeds of animals suitable for the 

 district he lives in ; who, perhaps, through these very efforts, 

 is not in a position to incur the necessary election expenses in a 

 contested election, would have the way open to him to become 

 a candidate ; and with the good opinion of his fellow farmers 

 miglit get in, and become a most valuable councillor. The same 

 applies to the aspiring miner or the merchant. 



Local influence would have full sway ; for in most instances 

 the bulk of the quota would be supplied in this way. 



The lecturer proceeded to say that the fact that the trans- 

 ferable vote makes every vote effective would entirely alter the 

 whole present situation as soon as the voter realised the power 

 it gives him. He is the one who would profit most; but the 

 benefits extend not only to the voter, but to the candidate, the 

 member, and the country. 



The voter would see the absolute necessity of recording his 

 vote ; of getting every other voter to do the same ; of getting 

 every man qualified to vote to have his name entered upon the 

 register. Having the privilege of expressing his preference for 

 as many candidates as he chooses, he would exercise it, and thus 

 secure an eft'ective vote. 



As concerns the candidates, with the importance of can- 

 vassing much diminished, and that of merit as the member's 

 qualification greatly increased, and with election expenses 

 diminished or abolished, the field of choice would be extended. 

 When past public services and the ability to render more are 

 what is looked for in the candidate, you would have the best 

 public men coming forward — not asking for votes, but ofifering 

 their services for the public good, if a large enough section of 

 the voters desired them. This honourable position would take 

 the place of the present personal contest, conducted in large 

 measure by the help of the candidate's purse. 



As to the member, his position would be infinitely stronger. 

 Collectively, the members would represent the whole community, 

 and would thus be on a footing of periect equality with their 

 fellow-members on the opposite side of the House. Freed from 

 the troublesome contentious subjects of additional representation 

 and distribution, they could devote their energies entirely to the 

 pressing needs of the country, to the advancement of its material 

 interests, to profitable work, in the interests of those who elected 

 them. 



