SEAMEN'S VOTES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 5, 6 July 1928, Page 11

SEAMEN'S VOTES

SYSTEM OF RECORDING ALTERATION WANTED A request that tho electoral laws should be amended. so as to provido greater facilities for seamen desirous of casting their votes at General Elections was made by a deputation from the New Zealand Seamen's Federation which waited on the Minister in Charge of tho Electoral Department (the Hon. A. D. M'Leod) to-day. The deputation was introduced by Mr. P. Fraser, M.P., and Mr. J. M'Combs, M.P., was also present. The case for the seamen was stated by Mr. F. P. Walsh, secretary of the Federation, who said that undci the existing law seamen were under a disability at election time. Tho extension of the time between the issue of. tho writs and' the election to thirty days had certainly improved the position, but thero wero still many seamen who were unable.to record their votes. It was suggested that the same system that was adopted at the special licensing poll in 1919 in the case- of soldiers .who were at sea should be adopted in the case of seamen, who should be given the right to cast their votes, tho master of the ship to act as returning officer and to transmit the result of the voting to New Zealand by wireless. It was also. suggested that seamen who wero askoro should have the right to record their votes before any Postmas-. ter or Collector of Customs, at any port at any time after the closing of nominations and up to and including the data of .tho-.. poll. ' It was stated that -the .cooks, and. stewards wore whole-heartedly .supporting the representations of ..the. seamen. :'.-"' .In replying to the representations of the deputation, the Minister stated that,, following .representations., which had been made to him during last session;, his Department had gone, fully mto-the question, and it has been found that there wero many 'difficulties in the way of adopting the proposal. The, commercial travellers were in a similar- position to that of the seamen, and no doubt there were others who would also'be affected and would want consideration. It was not his intention ito amend the electoral law this session, .but, in view of the case which had been presented by the deputation, he would go into the matter again, and, if necessary, refer the matter to Cabinet. '