ELECTING MEMBERS.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2714, 23 June 1925, Page 10

ELECTING MEMBERS.

DAIRY CONTROL BOARD. No one will venture to say that any election, in which only 30 per cent, of electors take part, will give a true and representative expression of opinion on the issue placed before the electors. A matter which is being- freely commented upon * throughout the New Zealand press just now is the indifference disclosed by the voting results of the Dairy Control Board. Out of a total number of dairy producers of approximately 56,000, only 16.245 or less than 30 per cent, availed themselves of their franchise. Such a poor result on so vital a question must certainly be both disappointing and discouraging' to those men who take a leading part in the co-operation movement of the New Zealand dairy industry.

Although a certain number of complaints have been heard of producers not receiving their voting papers, the present method of postal voting could not be made easier for the individual farmer. He is asked to record his vote under a minimum of inconvenience by simply enclosing his voting paper into an addressed envelope and without the cost of a postage stamp, drop it in the most convenient letter box. He is given on an average a fortnight to accomplish this, and yet only thirty out of every hundred' producers were sufficiently interested to record their votes.

it is a recognised fact, that the average dairy farmer more so than any other farmer or member of the community, is the hardest man to get rnterested in anything outside his every day routine work. -At the same time it must be admitted that in the present instance, much of the apparent indifference is due to the system of fleeting members of the Dairv Control Board. Until such lime as both Islands are cut up into wards, and each ward is entitled to elect its oa ii members, producers, as a body, will never take any interest in the election of persons that are complete strangers to them. Until such an improvement is made the election of Board members will be more or less in the nature of a farce, for no one will voniure to say that any election, in which only 30 per cent, of the electors take part will give a true and representative expression of opinion or the issue placed before the members of our industry. .It is therefore to be hoped that the members of the various unions and dairy factories will leave no stone unturned until they secure the necessary legislation to make possible the ward system of election.