CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8096, 27 September 1904, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

TOWN DISTRICTS: QUALIFICATION TO VOTE.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, — It is solely in the public interest that I ask you to afford me room in your paper to draw attention to what 1 consider an abuse of the conditions under which the privilege of voting is regulated in our statutes, in respect to the town district of Normanby, and possibly other similar districts. It is popularly supposed that all ratepayers are entitled" to vote without any outer qualification than paying the rate on a section (say 6d) and seeing that, in consequence of such payment, the payer's name is placed on the roll by the clerk to the local body.rt The qualification of a "ratepayer," as occupier or owner of the land, is quite ignored.- It has been concluded tha tpaying the rate makes the person a ratepayer, and as ratepayers have a right to vote, when application has been made to the clerk, the applicant has been placed on the roll because he has paid or will pay the rate; it has been thought sufficient to place a person on the roll, though he has paid no rate, if the owner of the land to which the qualificafon attaches in that instance writes saying that for the future so-and-so will pay the rates. Once on the roll, the said ratepayer has a right to vote, not because he has any qualification really, bub becausa his name is on tjje roll. Thus an owner of unoccupied sections, living in the town or not, by simply deputing others, living in the town or not, to pay the rates of those sections, can vicariously exercise the franchise as many times as he has sections — one section, one vote. Or if he does not want to exercise any influence over the section, he can enfranchise his friend who does. In this way, this ignoring of the qualification of cccupancy or ownership, ib has happened lately thnt an absentee has enfranchised another absentee, and the latter has been nominated and stood for election to the Board of Commissioners. Some years ago five ratepayers were selected by certain influential men of the township, including those of the outgoing Board, as the five most fitting persons, and nomination papers were duly signed by nominators and nominees. The papers were entrusted to one of the number to hand in to the Returning Officer on the day of nomination. Tha holder of tho papers on that day became absorbed in weeding his garden, and he forgot all about the nominations till the hour was past when it was legal or receive them. Meanwhile a search party of five was got together, containing at least one most unpopular person; nominators were found (they probably nominated on 3 another), the nominators went in. and in the absence of the chosen people, or any other nomination, the scratch five were declared elected. Under similar circumstances there is nothing to prevent, should disagreement arise between Board and County, for an absentee owner, living in the county, deputing certain five other county men to pay tha rates, and so getting them on the roll, then nominating them for election, and, given but an absence of other nominations, by accident or otherwise, # five county men would be elected to a position which would enable them to administer the funds of the town in the interests of the county and not of the town. Again, men of many sections and as many olive branches are in the habit of obtaining a place on the roll for the members of the family, allowing each to pose as a ratepayer of one section. In this way, lam told, one man in the township can command 12 or 13 votes to. carry out his wicked (or righteous) will. For a similar plurality of rotes I am told he does not stand alone, though I believe he is the true "whole hogper," to use the words of Lord Rosebery. The townspeople, at least some of them, are not ungrateful to you for suggesting a reference to the Governor as a way out of the road difficulty with the Council. They would esteem it a favor if you would let them know how they are to redress the present grievance. Would not the proper method be for the local body to purge the roll of uncertified owners and all not occupying the land for which they claim qualification to vote? — I am, etc., R. S. THOMPSON. Xormanby, September 26.