ELECTORAL LAW.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19332, 9 June 1928, Page 14

ELECTORAL LAW.

—♦ — COMPULSORY REGISTRATION. MINISTER PRAISES SYSTEM. [THE PRESS Special Service.]' WELLINGTON. June S. That the compulsory system of electoral registration lias justified its adoption in New Zealand was claimed by the Minister in charge of the Elec- ! toral Department (the Hon. Mr McLeod) in an interview to-day. The Minister was asked whether he could furnish any information as to how the present system of compiling tho electoral rolls was working, and as to how the results compared with those obtained under the previous system. "Prior to the 1925 General Election," replied Mr McLeod, "the electoral rolls were compiled by means of employing a large number of clerks to make a house-to-homse visitation, to enrol persons and obtain information regarding electors whose names were on the roll but who had changed their place of residence. When New Zealand was sparsely populated, this method of enrolling was quite satisfactory, but with a big population and growth of settlement a change became necessary." The steady increase in the cost of preparing electoral rolls was a matter that had to be seriously considered by the. Electoral Department. * The Legislature Amendment Act, 1910. provided for the taking of an electoral census, and this means was tried out for the 1911 elections, but it proved itself to he a costly and unreliable method. The compulsory registration system came under the notice of the Government and received the fullest investigation, and as it hnd proved itself to be a very economical and reliable means of compiling rolls in the Commonwealth of Australia, it was decided in 1924 to try it out for the 1925 General Election. Justified its Adoption. "From enquiries made in different .quarters it has justified its adoption," said Mr McLeod. "It was a very decided change to require pedplc to register and notify their change» of addresses, after they had enjoyed, for such a long time the privilege of being waited on and cajoled to register. Tho fact that the system is now working.satisfactorily in New Zealand is an indication that the olectors are fully alive to their Parliamentary obligations. It has been said by some: 'Why compel people to register?' The answer is that the Department,, too, has an obligation to. compile representative rolls. To leave the registering to the I free will of the people would entail much heavy work towards the closing date of the rolls, and consequently the careful checking that, is possible under compulsory registration could not be given to the applications sent in. at the eleventh hour of the closing of -the rolls. As tlie work of forming the new rolls as the result of the alteration-of the electoral boundaries' has not yet been completed," added, the Minister, "the Department is unable to give the total registrations for each electoral district, but the figures for the ■ old electoral districts indicate a very satisfactory state of affairs."