STRIKING OFF ELECTORS FOR NOT VOTING AT LAST ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 44, 21 February 1900, Page 3

STRIKING OFF ELECTORS FOR NOT VOTING AT LAST ELECTION.

(To the Editor.)

.Sir, —In your issue of Tuesday last you give the public very important intimation on the above subject. As we are at war with the Transvaal b<£ cause of the refusal of that Government to enfranchise Uitlanders, it is to be hoped that we will not be too engrossed with that self-imposed task to see that thousands of our own citizensmay be left in a like predicament, if they are not very much on the alert. The first thing- I wish to refer to, is the fact that Mr King- should have the four electorates, viz., City of Auckland, Parnell, Eden and Manukau to manage. Is it usual in other parts of the colony to place four electorates under one Registrar? If not, I wonder why it should have been done in this case? I know this: Many times prior to the late election, when numbers of indignant electors complained of the. difficulties placed in the way of their enrolment, and the unnecessai'y number of calls the Registrar imposed on them before he would register them, he would excuse himself on the ground of heaving too much to do. It .is to be hoped that overwork will not prevent everyone entitled to getting the notice of removal from the roll. I note also the same paragraph mentions the fact that, in sending out the official communications, an application form for enrolment must accompany such notice. ' I hope this part of the work will be faithfully done. Then those interested are told that such tcorespondence is free through the post' offices. It is this part of the arrangements I want to particularly caution the electors about. Under ordinary, circumstances this: system might, be trusted. Everyone knows extraordinary conditions prevailed at the last election.. Well known busi-

ness men gave Mr King himself their applications, yet were not enrolled. In other numerous instances, where the police called and found the applications genuine, the applicants, lulled into a false security, had no vote on election day, I may be pardoned, therefore, if I strongly advise the electors not to trust anyone, but to make sure of securing their birthrights by going personally to the Registrar, taking a witness with them. —1 am, etc.,

WILLIAM RICHARDSON,