THOSE MUNICIPAL ROLLS TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1914, Page 2

THOSE MUNICIPAL ROLLS TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — In your issue of yesterday appears a paragraph about the rolls for the coming MayoraM ©lection, which is somewhat misleading. It is rot correct to say that last year I "gave orders for the distribution of copies- of the roll to various places in the city." The fact is that I advised the officer in charge to place claim forms in various stations throughout the city, and the old rolls were added. The idea that this led to any confusion is absurd. As a matter of fact-, the result of advertising these various places where applicants could be enrolled was that Wellington had last year the most complete roll that ever it possessed. The large supplementary roll then formed showed how the people took advantage of the facilities given. This- year no such. > facilities for enrolment are being offered, and for the life of me I cannot understand why. It is absnrd to expect people in the outskirts of the city to use the Town Hall alone. The excuse that the roll Has toi be corrected is no proper explanation, since, if people goto'the' Town •Hail- to inspect the roll, they can only- see the same roll as they would see if copies were placed at Kilbirnie, Brooklyn, or in any other district. Tlie correction of the roll is a work that could -have been m hand since last election,' but, according to the jnformation you report, it seems as if the main roll will not .be completed and open for inspection much, if at all, befpre the time for enrolment expires. You are informed that "names will be received up to the 15fch of April." Well, last year the - officials advisedthat names for enrolment would not be taken after 28 days from the day of election. It is now put down as 14 days before. I hope it is i 4 ,days before, but it cannot be both 28 and 14 before the day of election. I suggest that the Solicitor for the Council should advise right away which r< is. I know the Act well, and it stands thus : Section 13 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, says: — "Roll is closed at 5 o'clock afternoon of the fourteenth day preceding the day of election." Section 4of the Amending Act, 1910, says : "No claim for enrolment shall be lodged during the fourteen days preceding the day on which the roll is* deemed closed under section 13 of the principal Act.'' Now, the bad drafting lias left what may be called a lawyer's loop-hole there, so that claims may be lodged on the fore part of the fourteenth day preceding • the day of election. If that is the point the officials are taking, I suggest that the most honest and fair way would be to take an opinion from Mr. T. F. Martin, and let that opinion be published for the information of all. This position should be cleared up speedily. — I am, etc., D. M'LAREN. 27th March, 1914.