ROLL PURGED.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20028, 9 September 1930, Page 7

ROLL PURGED.

7362 NAMES REMOVED. TRAMWAY BOARD DISCUSSION. A complaint was made by Mrs'E. R. McCombs at yesterday's meeting of the Christchurch Tramway Board that adequate measures had not been taken to ensure that the name of everybody eligible was on the electoral roll. The Works, and Traffic Committee reported:—ln order to keep the electoral rolls purged, all changes in respect of ratepayers are obtained from the offices of the other local authorities. The checking of names on the roll with respect to residential qualifications is done by sending postal advice to these, 24,474 in. number. If the person to whom the communication is addressed has left that address, the card comes back to the tramway office, and the name is removed from the roll. There were 7362 of them. If any of these people still reside in the Christchurch tramway district, they will be enrolled again on application being made by them. Ratepayers and freeholders having qualification in more than one subdisl iot may select the district in which they wish to vote. They cannot vote in more than one district. This selection I must be made while the roll is being ■ prepared, not afterwards. Mrs McCombs said that no attempt was being made to encourage people to get on the roll. The Board should endeavour to encourage a large, poll. "Surely," said Mrs McCombs, "the Board should represent the largest .pos- j sible number of people." Mr W. Hayward (chairman): Quite j right. Interests of a Section. "Unfortunately the purging does militate against the interestsvof a section of the people," said Mrs McCombs. "It is a great pity the people are not encouraged to i-e-enrol." Mr Hayward said the Board had done a great deal of advertising; that was its measure to prevent such a development. Mrs McCombs: Has any considerable number of enrolments been received as a result of advertising? Mr Frank Thompson (General Manager) said he had seen a stream of people coming in, but nothing like 7300. The matter had been mentioned in the reports for the purpose of giving added publicity. Mr W. Williamson said Mrs McCombs was scarcely correct in saying that nothing had been done. He drew her attention to the clause. Mr Hayward said the Board could do more if Mrs McCombs desired it. "Quite 3000 of the 7300 have gone to Kingdom Come," said Mr D. Sykes, "and they will be found in the cemeteries. So far as the City is concerned the roll is fairly complete, but in the counties the case is different." Mr H. Pearce asked whether Mrs McCombs would suggest sending round a canvasser to.put people on the roll. Mrs McCombs:. A very good thing to do. The City Council does it. Unfortunately people think they are on the roll when they are not. Very few working people would read the advertisement. It looked like something for business people in the newspapers. A better way would have been to insert an advertisement in the news part, and it would not have cost any more. Mr Hayward said there was still ample time for people to enrol, as the election did not take place until November, .and the. roll did not close for a. fortnight before that date. Mrs McCombs: Could we put notices in the trams urging people to enrolf Hr Haywardj Yes, if the Board wishes it.' Mrs McCombs then moved that this be done, and, Mr W.. J. Walter seconding, the resolution was carried,^ COMPENSATION CASE. BIG SUM CLAIMED. , [THS PEEBS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, September 8. A claim by Fadlalla Khouri, merchant, of Wellington, against the. Wellington City Council for £9560 componsation in respect of land taken in Thorndon quay for street widening purposes, was heard in the Compensation Court to-day. The Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) presided, with two assessors. Mr l\ S. K. Macassey, with hito Mr C Evans-Scott, appeared for the plaintiff and Mr J. O'Shea (City Solicitor), with him Mr J. Lockie, for the Corporation.. The land in dispute was 10.66 perches, with a frontage of 70ft, and a depth ranging from 64ft to 67ft, and was situated next to the Railway Hotel, on the : northern side. Mr Macassey said that his client was in the soft goods business, and required a factory and a warehouse. The section, was ideally situated for that purpose, and towards the end of 1956 he decided to erect a two-storey building. He was informed, however, that the. Corporation intended to set back the; street frontage. Counsel went on to detail-the negotiations between the nlnintiff and the Corporation, and alleged that Khouri was injuriously affected by a delay of almost three years before the . land :was actually taken. The section had a special value from the plaintiff's point of view. Mr O'Shea interjected that the Council wa% prepared to give back the land Mr Macassey uaid his client wanted compensation. The offer was not satisfactory and he wanted an order of the Court While the plaintiff was being crossexamined counsel engaged in a verbal duel concerning one of the questions, and finally Mr O'Shea exclaimed: I am not a congenital idiot or anything like that, your Honour, as Mr Macassey has asserted. . His Honour: He has not asserted it. Mr O'Shea: You are drawing your own inferences; • The case is unfinished; The first intimation received by the Railway Department with regard to the mishap to the Limited express on Saturday morning near Palmerston North indicated that the cause of the trouble was a broken axle. However, when the carriages were towed to a siding and a more minute examination was made, it was found that the axle was intact. What happened waß that a piece of steel flange became detached and the fracture ultimately spread and involved the whole flange. A first glance at the damaged bogey certainly gave the impression that the axle waj broken. Either mishap—a broken axle or broken flange —is equally, likely to cause derailment, and it is generally, considered that the express had a narrow escape.— Press Association. [ '''',.. . *"^ :j No longer need the complications and, difficulties of moving to another town worry, you. The New Zealand Express Company is ready to take over the whole job—packing, transport, and unpacking at the other end. Expert packers are employed, and the most up-to-date weatherproof pantechnicons used, /our goods arrive on tinw and in perfect condition. —5