The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1919.

Gisborne Times, Volume L, Issue 5137, 1 April 1919, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1919.

The agitation in favor of provision being made for disfranchised exsoldiers to vote in ■ connection with the Licensing Referendum shows no signs of abating. Nobody will be very much surprised on that account, because it will not be a satisfactory position if it should prove that war service's has resulted in any ex-soldier forfeiting his right to vote on_ such an important issue. We notice that the Acting-Prime Minister has become somewhat angry in consequence of the agitation being continued. He now has this to say on the subject: “I think that returned soldiers and the public have sufficient insight to realise the object of the agitation which shows that there are on either side those who are actively • fighting, for' their own party <?«d arf* mined to lope’ no t?^ enlist sympathy .and sectujjfo r v jn&ys, ’' Fhese nasty little remark-gy4ig|tejy.)r, irfi the! t- ■' iispute." 'uitp overlook 1

Ex-Sgjdiers and the Referendum.

with either the Prohibition party or the Trade and the members of this great army of silent voters, too, feel that the Government has; a distinct duty to peform. in regard to the electoral rights of ex-soldiers. If the Government had dealt with the matter on its merits there would have been no need for cither the Trade or the Prohibitionists—as it is both parties have interested themselves in the question—to|have made any complaint at all. Thai partisans should now find themselves charged with courting the votes pf disfran- ( chised or unenfranchised ; ex-soldiers is only a natural corollajty to such an agitation. The point that has to be remembered, we think, is this: that ex-soldiers who now find themselves without a vote should he entitled to participate in the Referendum. Sir James Allen ?Jiys that lie has been unable to obtain any definite information of soldiers disfranchised. That is not a reasoni able reply to the agitation, seeing j I that Cabinet has not iaken ade-. | quale steps to get information on, the ■ subject. Tf the Acting Prime Min-j ' istor could assure the public that he had publicly invited disfranchised soldiers to send in their names to the Government and had received no replies he would have sobe grounds for putting forward such h lame excuse. Sir James Allen; must be aware of the fact that soiie time ago loose Ministerial promises; were made to the effect that nobody; who had gone on war service would on that account be deprived of his or her vote. The Government Subsequently brought in a series of regulations 1 putting the onus of getting on the roll on soldiers who Uad h"pn discharged by a given datei How can Sir James Allen say thab, all ex-sol • diers must have become; aware of these regulations? As xo| how many ex-soldiers’ names do not‘appear on the rolls nobody, we should say, can have any idea. The number rnay be small; or it may be substantial. "Up till now Sir James Allen fos professed that it is impossible iiir the Government to do anything riore in the matter. That contention isimply amounts to this: that if an ex-soldier misunderstood the position in the hurry and bustle attendmt on resumption into civil life that is his own affair. It seems to this journal that Cabinet is simply looking for trouble in connection with this matter. It has had possible remedies placed before it but it is apparently not inclined to do any more if it can help it. There does not appear to be any good reason why the names of disfranchised and unenfranchised ex-soldiers should not be placed on a separate roll and then if it is found that their votes would have a deciding effect on the result Parliament should be asked when it goes j into session to pass a Validating Act. The day of the Referendum is now close at hand, and there is no time to lose on the part of the Government in taking such steps as will ensure fair play to all ex-soldiers who have been deprived of their vote on account of misunderstanding the real position.