New-York tribune., 1919-05-18
First Test of Proportional
Representation Refutes
Arguments of Its Critics,
"London Times Declares
system Works Smoothly
Supposedly Cumbersome
Method of Electing Is
Found Easy at the Polls
NetD York Tribune
Forei0n Press Burenn

NetD York Tribune
Foreign Press Bureau
In the recent Scottish local election.
nroportional representation has beer
tried on a larger scale than ever be-
fore, says "The London Times" ano
the election has been an undoubtec
success. The only criticism, says "The
Times" has come from one or two
defeated candidates, who could not see
any good in a system that worked
against them, and from few who
thought the election districts were toe
large. "The Times" continues:
"Passing from these criticisms, it is
to be observed, in the first place, that
any lingering doubt as to the prac-
tcability of proportional representa-
ton on the system of the single trans
ferable vote must be set at rest. The
new act had set up education authori-
ties for every county and for the
scheduled burghs"-Edinburgh, Glas-
gov, Leith, Dundee and Aberdeen
thus, except in urban areas, largely in
creasing the size of the districts by
which the authorities are elected.
Every burgh and nearly every county
was subdivided into electoral areas or
constituencies, returning, in some
cases, as many as nine or ten, and in
others as few as three members. Each
county and borough had separate re-
turning officer, who was, as q rule, re-
sponsible for several constituencies and
for the conduct of eeveral elections.
without exception, the returning off,
GERS found that the regulation for
counting the votes, which certain men,
bers of the House of Commons de-
nounced last year as a Chinese puzzle,
worked with perfect smoothness.
Although both returning officers and
electors were all new to their work,
there was nowhere any hitch. The re-
turning officer for Glasgow counted
in one day no fewer than $4,000 votes,
spread over seven electoral divisions of
the city, each of which had to have q
separate count. A single constituency
of 100000 voters could easily have been
counted in the same time. A similar
story Of clockwork efficiency comes
from every centre.
The ordinary citizens. men and
women, rose to the occasion. Thev
we're required to vote by putting the
figure ! against the candidate thew
liked best and, in addition, they were
asked to express as many preferences
as they wished by putting the figures
2,.3, and so on against the names Of
other candidates in the order of their
choice. Not difficult task-as the
advocates of P. R. have always main
taIned--but it involved, no doubt, a
complete change in the accustomed
method OF voting. The gloomy prophe-
S Sles as to the number of spoiled papers
have been falsified by the result. The
pest record is, perhaps, that of Perth,
where the local Rotary Club accepted
as one of its privileges the task Of in
struggling electors. The number o.
spoiled papers from all causes there
was slxty-nine out of a total of 6,O54.
or IL per cent In Glasgow there were
1910 papers spoiled from all causes
out Of total of 124,lO7, a little more
than 2 per cent. In Edinburgh 486
out OF 24,747, or, again, 2 per cent. In
some places it was higher-for ex-
ample, in Buteshire and in Sutherland
nearly per cent.
The results of the elections. as
shown by the official result sheets. :"
on which the process of counting and
transferring votes are recorded, also
demonstrate the intelligent purpose
WIN which preferences were marked.
references were not-as opponents of
tue system prophesied-marked at
random: Electors marked the candi-
ostes OF their own parties in the order
OF their preferences. Thus, in Glas-
gov. the Rev. Canon O'Brien Cath
onc1 had 4,l1z surplus votes; of these,
4,02s went over to a second Catholic
GGahaldate, Quin. In the Clydebank
pivislon OF Dumbarton. Miss Rae, a
LABOR candidate, had POI surplus votes;
oI tnese lsl went over to Frazer, an
otner candidate Of the same ticket.
moreover, where candidatse were not
s.Anoing as group, or at best formed
PART OF some very loose organization,
.ae indication of reasoned purpose be-
nlho the expression Of preferences was
equally clear. In Dundee a candidate
ciassed as mo party" had 1877 surplus
votes; Of these 144 fell to other candi-
oates also classified as "no party" the
reason being that the policies of these
candidates had much in common.
=, Inc elections established more than
sne emciency OF the electoral machinery
'ne single transferable vote, they
ssso 1ulnlled the promise of fair repre-
sentation to all parties As an example
we may examine one division of Glas
ggow-Govam, Tradeston and Pollok.
mere were nine seats, eighteen candi-
oatss, 25,572 valid votes, and the quota
.she number which assured the cleo
TM.on Mon OF representative, was 1858.
Inc aggregate Catholic vote was 6,204,
or TWO quotas and 1908 votes; they
secured two representatives. The Labor
vote was 2,3s2. or little less than a
Iuil quota. The Catholic surplus as
s'sted this group and Labor succeeded
"a y securing one representative. The
oooperators polled 1913 votes, con-
sslaa,srsbly va, less than quota, and they
aa,iec u return representative. The
ctner nine candidates were either un-
organized or loosely organized, and
represented what may be called pro-
Efessive middle and non Catholic opin-
ION. They polled 1858 votes, or six
quotas and 24o votes. and this group
secured six representatives. The repre-
sentation Of those who voted could not
possibly be more fair.