Correspondence

Hutt News, Volume 18, Issue 1, 7 June 1944, Page 5

Correspondence

Sir,—ln reply to many complaints received from electors who wt}re forced to wait outside the booths -in inclement weather at the recent elections, I would be obliged if. you would print the enclosed letter which 1 sent to the Returning Oflieer and to which 1 had no reply. 1 would add that all the booths were in the same congested condition all* day.Vr— I am etc., HENRY V. HOR LOR. Lower Hutt Labour Party Election Committee. Lower Hutt, May .13, ISH-1 Mr. B. S. Knox, Returning- Officer, Lower Hutt City. Dear Sir,—My committee desires to emphatically protest at the totally inadequate provision of Polling Booths for the forthcoming Local Body Elections. Our information ta \t.fta£ the number on the Wellington Roll is approximately Mii,DDI), and 2iiD Booths will be provided. The Lower Hutt Roll is approximately If>,DDU with '2Booths. This means -'that Wellington is providing one Booth to-'every 331 Electors against Lower H'utt's one Booth to every 727 Electors. It should be also noted that there are only five issues to be voted on in Wellington while Lower Hutt has a total of seven issues. We ask that you give this matter your urgent consideration. Yours faithfully, H. V. Horlor, Secretary.

On referring this letter to the Returning Officer he states that a verbal reply was given to Mr. Horlor. obviating the necessity of unnecessary correspondence at a particularly busy period. No other complaints have yet been received by him. The time required by the majority of voters to mark the seven issues involved, obviously was a contributing factor and one over which no Returning Officer could have any control. The voting heaviest on record, titi* of the 17,000 ori t their privileges.