RATING POLL.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15219, 5 March 1915, Page 8

RATING POLL.

UNIMPROVED SYSTEM TO REMAIN. ALTERATION REJECTED BY 151 VOTES.

" A poll of city ratepayers was taken '. yesterday on a proposal to rescind the > system of striking the general rate on • I the unimproved values in favour of the 'fold system of striking'the rate on the '■ ''capital values. Polling was quiet '• \ throughout the day. but the total mini'ber of votes cast was higher than might ' have been expected. Altogether 4053 voters went to the poll, being roughly one-third of those entitled to vote. The proposal to rescind was lost by 1929 j votes to 2i')Sf). a difference of 151 votes. ■ Informal* accounted for -H- The l> roiposal found its chief support in the central polling booths, large majorities being cast at the Provincial Council Chambers and the Orange BXI, Worcester street. At the Rugby street i schoolroom also the capital valuo sup- ! porters had a big lead, but at the other • booths opinion was either equally divid;ed or strongly against the. proposal. In Sydenham "particularly substantial majorities against the change were re- j corded at every booth- Details of the voting are as follows: — Boot-h. o Si "c Provincial Council Chambeis, No. 1 .. •• ■• - ai w - Provincial Council Chambers, No. 2 .. •• •■ - 20 " o Orange Hall; Worcester street 123 57 St. Michae'.'e Schoolroom, Durhum street •• •• ™*. ™ ? Otlev's Showroom, Madras st. 20 4J i F-crcstors' Hall, Oxford tcrraco SI <o Methodist. Sohoolroom, Stanmore ror.d •• .. 46 (1 1 Hibernjiui Hull, Barbadoee st. ■33 61 2 Linwood Public Library, Worc«eter street • •• "2 129 1 Social Hall, Leyden street .. Gl 117 2 S.A. Barracks, Fitzgerald ay. S6 46 1 Baptist Church Yeotry, Linwood avonue .. .. 48 81 2 Marquee, Hazell'e Store, Colombo street •• ■• 82 100 1 Primitive Methodist Schoo!I room, Madrae street .. .63 116 2 I Wes!eyan Schoolroom, Rugby I street .. .. .. 137 75 '3 St. Albans Library, Dover et. 22 iS 1 Pritchard's Store, Cranford et. .35 33 — Mrs Collier's House, V/aning- ; ton street .. .. 30 35 1 Hendo'rson'a Motor House, Knowles street .. ... 31 18 — Broadhurst'e Store, N. Avon rd. 21 31 — Marquee, Merivale lane .. 45 57 — Sydenham Football Club, Laweon street .. .. 109 184 3 Tramway Board's Carahed, Falegravo stjroet .. ..30 80 1Methodist Schoolroom, Selwyn street ~ ... 51 94 3 Waltham Library, Waltham rd. 57 93 3 Peek's Shop, Tennyson str&et 43 151 2 Oddtel.owa Hall, Xtickene at. 27 48 — TotaU .. .. 1329 20SO 44 Majority against .. .. 151 . Votes cnet .. .. 4053 *

MUDDLES AT THE POLL. XO THE EDITOR OP "THE PKESS." Sir, —I desire to protest most strong, ly against the metnods adopted to-day tor tne takiug of the poll on the rating question. JL'jrst of all a number or ratepayers whose names are undoubtedly on the roll, were, on proffering themselves to vote, toid bluntly that they had no vote at ■ all, and were turned away. In one particular case I went back with the ratepayer, a lady, whose husband had been informed that she had no vote. , I ascertained that

I her name was on the roll, and saw to it that she was allowed to record her vote. Why she was refused in the first instance is quite a mystery to mc, as it was to her husband. There eeemed, indeed, to be something radically wrong-with the conduct- of the business. This happened at the Provincial Council Chambers. Two other cases also came under my notice. One was that of a prominent professional man' in Christchurch who, on going to the same booth, was told he .had no voto. He ihet mc and complained about the mattor, and he then went and found out that his name was on the roll all right, and also the name of his wife, and the two voted. Another- case.alpo at the same. boovh was that of a lady who also was refused a voting paper. I went back with her and found that

her name also was on the roll, and ehe thproujton. exercised her vote. I cangive names and all particulars relating to these cases, ■which actually came under my notice. The question then arises: How many other ratepayers were turned down unjustifiably in the same way, ratepayers who probably would get disgusted with the whole affair and leave- the booth without voting? it is-surely only a reasonable thing to suppose that every facility would be given to vote/instead of hindrances of this objectionable sort being placed .in their way. Another matter that r-calls for grave comment was the confusing \ray in which the issue was set out on .the voting paper. Highly educated and professional men experienced a difficulty in grasping readily the real import of the issue as set forth; how then could the ordinary ratepayer be expected to know what ho was doing? " I am convinced that the accuracy of the polling was seriously interfered with by reason of the objections I have stated, and that if proper facilities had been afforded qualified ratepayers to vote, and the issue put in a simpler and more comprehensible form, the result would have been quite different.—Yours, etc., K. S. WILLIAMS. March 4th. 1915.