The Washington herald., 1921-12-15
Canada Turns to Liberals.

To the Editor. The Washington Herald:
On December the people of Can
ada held a general election for
members of the house of commons.
The existing conservative govern
ment was defeated Overwhelmingly.
Out of 235 members elected it won
only forty-eight seats, and these by
minorities. quite largely due to a
contest between two Liberal par
ties-the Progressive party. backed
by the farmers of the western
prairies. who secured at least sixty
three seats, and the Liberal party.
which won at least lis seats. One
labor member was elected, and two
Independents, with three seats In
doubt.
Says the Manitoba Free Press
UiberaD: The Progressives, We
take it. Will not regard themselves
as a political party out of office
and. therefore, bound to bring
about. if possible, the downfall of
the government of the day. Rather,
they will regard themselves as hold
ing watch brief for the public to
see that the promises OF better gov
ernment and wiser policies made IN
the campaign are fulfilled
There are, ii is very clear, strong
reactionary elements in the Liberal
party as returned to power. The
presence in the house of sixty odd
Progressives may be very useful to
Mr.. King (the new premier) in max
ing IT possible for him to hold them
in check" (Dec..S.)
The Toronto Mail and Empire
states that Quebec is represented
wholly by Liberals and adds: Mr..
King must work with his Progress
i've brothers. not simply because
their policy is largely identical with
the policy of his own party, but be-
cause he will need them to carry on
government. and because the prairie
provinces will insist on their being
represented in the cabinet. (Dec.
-
The Halifax Morning Chronicle
says: The election furnishes un-
mistakable evidence of the rising
tide of Liberalism in Canada. Since
the general election of 1911, which
was the last one upon Canadian is
sues, a new generation of voters
has grown up. First of all there
has been added to the electorate the
women of Canada, who on Tuesday
for the first time voted. And a great
host of young men exercised their
duties as full-fiedged citizens"
(Dec. 81
There will be a reduction of the
tarif, and probably the installation
of proportional representation.
10 f,,,x
sentation is making rapid headway
throughout the world, having been
installed during the past three
years in Italy. Germany. Czecho-
Slovakia, Armenia. Norway, and
Ireland. Still earlier in Belgium,
Switzerland, Holland. Sweden. Fin
land and Iceland, also in one or
more states in Australia, and in
South Africa. Several cities in the
United States have installed the
system with excellent results.
The result OF proportional repre-
sentation is that the voters are
fairly represented by their real
leaders, by Industries, and the
power of capital in politics is ac-
tuauy ended, as also is terminated
party government. In both the leg
islative and the administrative
bodies there is proportionate rep
resentation. The result is en-
lightened majority rule, whereby
everything which science can do for
human welfare is applied. The ten
dency is towards the distribution
of the country's wealth, in place of
the concentration that has been TAX
ing place under the rule of the few.
by means of machine-rule party
government
But in the United States and the
British isles there doubtless is first
to be Installed quite generally the
system of profit sharing, as was
started in Britain last June when
100000 coal miners were taken in
to partnership by the coal owners
and the producing companies. And
April 16 last. the United States