87 



regret that its lesson has been so neglected in the politics of 

 this Colony. Instead of instruction in the broad principles of pro- 

 portional representation, its general fairness and distinctive merits, 

 the elector has been perplexed by theprocesses involved in the 

 distribution of a surplus. For this reason, among others, the list 

 of informal votes was large. Even the prophets fell ; a candidate 

 for Parliamentary honors, deeply versed in the lore of proportional 

 distribution, rendered his vote informal by scoring out the names 

 of opposing candidates — the method formerly adopted. His 

 success at the election may be taken to prove the indulgence of 

 fate. 



At 6.30 pm, soon after the prescribed time for closing the 

 poll, the process of counting the votes began. The ballot-boxes 

 were brought to the Beturning Officer, the ballot papers were 

 removed, unfolded, and taken to the scrutineers, who began to 

 sort them for the first count Attached to each of the scrutineers 

 tables, there was a box with several compartments— one for each 

 candidate, one fordoubtful and one for invalid papers. The work of 

 the scrutineers consisted in taking the papers one by one and 

 calling out the names of the candidates marked 1, and placing 

 them in the compartments appropriated to the respective candi- 

 dates. Two clerks registered the vote on their recording sheets. 

 Finally, these recording sheets were tabulated and handed to Mr 

 Johnston, the Government Statistician and presiding genius of the 

 election. When the various numbers had been totalled, the 

 result of the first, or primary votes, became known. The totals 

 of Mr Johnston were checked by the Returning Officer, who had 

 previously settled the destination of doubtful papers. It was 

 found that the total number of valid votes was 2745. As there 

 were six seats, the quota was fixed at 457. Only one of the candi- 

 dates (Sir Philip Fysh) obtained a quota as the result of the first 

 count. As the primary votes of this candidate amounted to 501, 

 there was a surplusof 44 for distribution among remaining candi- 

 dates. After the whole 501 ballot papers had been given to the 

 scrutineers for the purpose of estimating second preferences, it 

 was found that Bradley claimed 41, Clark 304, Cox 2, Crisp 

 38, Dillon 9, Fulton 1, Hiddiestone 30, Mulcahy 42, Page 19, Paton 

 4, and St. Hill 10. A sum in simple proportion followed. If 

 Bradley is entitled to 41 votes outof 501, to how many is he entitled 



44x41 



out of a surplus of 44 ? = 3J or, getting rid of the frac- 



501 



tion, 4 The Returning Officer had then to take from Fysh's 

 box, any four ballot-papers on which Bradley was marked 2, 

 and to place them in Bradley's box. In this manner, but by 

 the aid of Fuller's spiral slide rule, the wholesurplus of 44 votes was 

 instantly distributed among the unelected candidates. This com- 

 pleted the second count. Had any candidate secured a surplus as 

 the result of this count, that surplus must have been distributed 

 in a proportion determined by reference to the third votes on the 

 whole of the ballot-papers he had received from Sir Phi'ip Fysh. 

 As a matter of fact.no additional candidate had secured a quota, 

 and it remained to begin the process of excluding lowest candidates. 

 The first victim was Mr Cox, whose 33 votes were now distributed 



