The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-08-27
u. S. BEHIND IN
GPOPULARYOTNG
Michelet Finds New Yea
land and Queensland Hold
Worlds Record.

Washington. - Simon Mehelet Of
washingtqny president of he9National
hGet-0 ot-theTete Club has extended
bis investigation of the stay-at-hon1e
vote to AN the principal countries
casting a popular vote. In a statIsf
teal roundup Of the nations At tAe
| polls he believes he has found the an
swer to the question-aWhat nation
holds the world voting recordp
The country Is no longer the United
States, he says. Forty years ago. when
so per cent Of American voters went
to the polls and voted. this country was
In the first column In the point Of vetl
ing efficiency. But In 1920 and 1924,
when only 50 per cent Of American
voters took interest enough to vote for
President the United States dropped
wen down to the tail Of the voting na7
lions. s
Great Britain, from whom we re-
belled In I776 to establish a govern
ment based on the American vote, ap-
pears to be making a much better
record at the polls today than America.
At the 1924 election of the house Of
commons. rs per cent of the British
electorate voted, and in the preceding
election 81 per cent of the electors Of
England and Wales went to the polls,
So the British are In the running for
the world voting record, and this coun-
try has fallen back among the "also
rams" s
The new Irish Free State does not
yet poll a full vote because OF fac
tionai conditions. and yet In the last
election polled the vote Of 60 per cent
of all Irish adult men and women.
which is. better than half the Amex+
{ can states Can show 1 astN
SsI-2iaD Germany Does Well. $3.50 -
Germany stands a close competitor
of Great Britain in getting out che
popular vote. In the first election of
the reichstag under the constitution Of
the German republic 70 per cent of all
Germans 20 years Of age and over vot-
ed. In the 1924 election the vote in
creased by 100000 and reached so
per cent Of the electorate, while In the
recent Presidential election. April,
1925. the German percentage reached
50 per cent.
The six Australian st~ates~and New
Zealand present a 20-year record where
efficient voting by women Is an excep-
tional feature. In the United States,
Canada. and most European countries
having equal suffrage for men and
women, there Is usually 10 to 20 per
cent lighter vote for ome than for
men. But In Queensland, Australia,
and In New Zealand women cast as
large a vote as men. In some cleo
lions as high as "a to 30 per cent Of
adult women go to the polls. This Is
notably the case In Queensland after
the passage Of the 1915 compulsory
voting act, when 90 per cent Of the
women delivered their votes.
A 20-year average for the Australian
states would show approximately 70
per cent Of the electorate voting, and
In New Zealand so per cent. In the
1915 referendum on military eonscrip-
tion the men cast SO per cent Of their
qualified vote.
In recent 1924 elections New Zea-
land and Queensland have shown a
record close to "a per cent, and so
would seem to be leading claimants to
the world voting record, with Germany
and Great Britain close rivals.
Belgium, Holland and Denmark are
not far behind. By voting districts
these three countries on the North sea
range from 60 per rent to 90 per cent
in their efficiency In delivering the bal
lot at- the polls. Their average Il
aroma rs per cent, or one-half better
than cur present American record
E g France votes fully 10 per cent Of its
electorate on the average. and In some
districts makes a higher rating.
Norway and Sweden rank well mp
with Belgium and Denmark. In the
Norway election of 1920. 70 per cent OF
the meniand 90 per cent of the won
engvoted. with q total average Of about
II per cents IN the prohibition refer
endum Of 1922, Swedish women In
Stockholm, the capital, cast 50 per
cent Of the city vote. thereby showing
that beiyota Of women depends upon
the issue. dlscsL
.fiw italy Stands Well Up.
IN the recent parliamentary election
IN Italy about GA per cent of the total
adult population, men and women, vot-
ed So Italy heats a1majority Of u
New England and Middle Atlantic
states In its voting percentage.
Switzerland voted 76 per cent Of its
electorate ID the 1922 election. In a
referendum proposing to give the au-
thortties large powers In putting down
political revolutions and 3 general
strikes, the popular vote reached IS
per cent OF the total voting electorate.
d~efeating the proposition BY d narrow
margin. Msi4l9 $50 .As ~
The Canadian provinces are making
"a far higher present record at the
polls than their sister states below the
boundary Eastern Canada. Including