TO-DAY’S CIVIC ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 187, 6 May 1931, Page 8

TO-DAY’S CIVIC ELECTIONS

If the interest aroused in the civic elections campaign which closed yesterday is any criterion of an awakened sense of responsibility on the part of the citizens of Wellington, the polling to-day should be in marked contrast to the figures of two years ago. On that occasion out of a roll number of 46,328, only 23,415, or 50 per cent., went to the poll, a depressing demonstration of public apathy. To-day,, the roll number is 50,258. That it denotes the full voting capacity of the city may be doubted, for it may be fairly assumed that a great many people probably have not taken the trouble to obtain enrolment, or to see whether their previous enrolment is still in order. However that may be, it does seem strange that in a city whose estimated population on March 31 last was 108,500 should have a municipal electoral roll of less than half that number. The municipal franchise is very wide in scope, including as it does residential and “occupiers’ ” qualifications as well as ratepayers’. ' There is a call to-day for a more active sense of civic responsibility than has been shown in the past. The times are difficult, and the

necessity has arisen for the most careful economies in municipal government. Every citizen should realise that he, or she, has a , personal stake in the affairs of the city, for errors of administration or imprudent policy react upon the individual. It will be little use girding at the City Council six months or a year hence if electors do not take their part in municipal reform by recording their votes to-day,