CIVIC ELECTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 70, 24 March 1933, Page 9

CIVIC ELECTIONS

VERY SLIGHT INTEREST

FEW ENROLMENTS

Apparently only very slight interest is.so far being shown in Wellington in regard to the municipal elections, which are to take place on May 3. The only definite announcement yet made is that Mr. T. C. A. Hislop will again be a candidate for the Mayoralty. It was decided by the Labour interests some months ago that Labour candidates would contest all mancipal offices, but no further announcement has been made. The Communist Party is_ putting forward candidates for certain of the seats. Nominations will close, in respect of the Mayoralty, City Council, Hospital Board, and Harbour Board, iv the second or third week in April. No nominations have yet been received. Last evening the Civic League held a special meeting to consider nominations which the leaguo requested might be suggested to it, but no statement was made today regarding either tho number of names submitted or any decision reached. THE PREPARATION OF ROLLS. The lack of interest on the part of the public generally is indicated again by tho very few inquiries made at the rolls office at the Town Hall. The main roll this year contains 49,300 names, anQ is now closed. The supplementary roll is still open, tut applications for enrolment must be made by April 5. The main roll may be seen either at the Town Hall or at various stores or halls in the city and sub.urbs; a full list of these suburban-rolls offices has been published several times. Though those in charge of these inspection rolls may not accept applications, enrolment forms may be obtained at all such points, and should befilled in and returned to the Town Clerk, Wellington. Applications require th 6 witnessing of tho claimant's ' signature by a J.P., a postmaster, a minister of religion, an elector of the City of Wellington, or of the Town Clerk. Qualification may be claimed in the applicant's own right, in the right of the husband or wife, and embraces freehold ownership of land of a value not less than £25, the usual rating qualification of residence in Wellington for three months and in New Zealand for one year, and the occupiers' qualification, i.e., tenancy of a building in Wellington for not less than three monjths at a rental of not less than £10 per year. Practically every citizen over the age of twenty-one years, being a British subject by yirth oL- naturalisation, is' qualified to make application. MAIN ROLL MISLEADING. . The fact that there are 49,300 names on the main roll really does not mean very much, for there are included probably thousands of names of people who have moved away from Wellington and have not advised tho Town Clerk (as they are supposed to do) of the fact. Endeavours have been made by local authorities to sceuro power to '"purge" tho rolls effectively, but Parliament has not granted this right. The only names that have been removed are those of people whose deaths have been noted from registrations, ratepayers who have sold properties and have not, secured others (so losing their ratepayers' qualifications), and the comparatively few whoso transfer from Wellington haa been notified or otherwise established.

As the supplementary roll is built up of actual applications, all tho names upon.it do mean something, but unless applications speed up it is going to be a somewhat thin toll this year.