THE ELECTORAL CENSUS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14808, 11 October 1911, Page 8

THE ELECTORAL CENSUS.

RESULTS OF THE BUNGLE;

POSITION STILL UNCERTAIN. t EXPLANATIONS IN : THE HOUSE. [BT TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL COKHESPOirDEirr.] Wellington, Tuesday. , It is now admitted on all hands that the provision for an electoral census, passed at the instance of the Government last session, was a mistake,'and to the present day there is a good deal of uncertainty as to what the position now is. > In answer to a question in .the House of Representatives to-day by Mr. Anderson (Mataura), the Prime Minister said the rolls were to be printed within 14 days after the cards were sent in. He said that imaginary grievances were being raised, but there was nothing whatever in it. ■ ~ " Mr. Fisher (Wellington Central) said there were, he believed, some 1400 people in Mr. Wright's electorate (Wellington South) entitled to be on the: roll who could not get on. There were a great many in his own district who were simi' larly situated. Could not some arrangement be made in regard to getting these names on in the meantime ? .■■>; Sir Joseph Ward said there may have been some weakness on the part of those who were struck off, through not having returned . the census paper,- but instructions were given to reinstate the whole of them upon the roil, except in cases where the registrar was perfectly certain they had left the district permanently. The matter had not been allowed to drift in any way whatever, and the total number of people on the rolls now was 28,330 more than it was in 1908. He would ask the House to pass legislation this session with a view to legalising the Whole position, so that those struck off in consequence of the electoral census would [be put in the same position in regard' to the rolls as if the census- paper had not been sent out at all. - --3:■

Mr. Massey (Leader of the Opposition) asked about the purging of the rolls. How was that to be done Sir Joseph Ward said that the purging would take place in the ordinary way, and the supplementary rolls would be printed as usual. All the printing, except in one or two cases, had been arranged for definitely. The work of the Department was being well looked after. : : v J

~ Mr: A. R. Wright (Wellington South) suggested that there was some risk that names would be retained on the :> rolls which should be removed. The Prime Minister assured the members that the rolls would be purged in exactly the same manner as in previous years. In reply to Mr. A. L. Herdraan (Wellington North), Sir Joseph Ward stated that officers engaged by the Registrar's Department were engaged in transferring to the proper roll the names of those people affected by the revision of the electoral boundaries. The preparation of the supplementary rolls would enable the Department to correct any omissions in this connection not corrected on the main rolls.