LOSS OF FRANCHISE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21776, 16 April 1934, Page 10

LOSS OF FRANCHISE

POWER BOARD ELECTION NON-PAYMENT OF RATES ABOUT 11,500 PROPERTIES In round figures, out of 42,500 properties on the rolls of tho 16 local authorities in the Auckland ElectricPower Board's district, 11,500 had rates upon them six months in arrear, either wholly or in part, at the beginning of last week. In the present state of the law, holders of voting rights in respect of these properties are not entitled to vote at tho election of members of the board on Wednesday, with the exception tluut a person qualified in respect of more than one property may vote if all the rates on one of the properties have boon paid. There is no plural voting. The total number of ratepayers disqualified could not be determined without much clerical work, but possibly it approaches 10,000. The disqualification, which was imposed by the 1924 amendment of the board's empowering Act, was removed in respect of all local authorities by the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Act, 1932. This legislation expired on September 30, 1933, and was not renewed by Parliament. The board therefore cannot be held responsible for tho disfranchisement of thoso who would otherwise have been entitled to vote this year. The board's district includes tho whole area from Avondale to Papakura, inclusive, together with the county of Manukau. Tho preparing of the rolls for tho election has occupied a staff of 30, mainly drawn from unemployed with experience of electoral work, for the past mouth. At times 40 of the board's permanent staff have been called into assist at night. On election day a staff of 180 will bo required at the 78 polling places.

Tho board has no roll of its own, but works from the ratepayers' rolls of the local bodies in its district. These have been revised by the local bodies in regard to changes in the ownership of properties and so forth, but the board is responsible for striking off rate defaulters in conformity with lists supplied. Only ratepayers in their otvn rightas "occupiers" are entitled to vote. This means that a wife may not vote by virtue of her husband's qualification, or vice versa. Candidates must be ratepayers in the board's district, but it does not appear that they are disqualified, as are voters, for failure to pay rates. "TOO MANY LOCAL BODIES" VIEWS OF A CANDIDATE The opinion that there were _ too many local bodies in the Dominion was expressed by Mr. J. N. Mcßae, a candidate for election to the Auckland Electric-Power Board, in an address to electors at Morningside on Saturday evening. He urged the amalgamation of the Waitemata Electric-Power Board and the Auckland Board, in whom he thought tho control of the tramways should be vested. "There is a pressing need for reduction in the Auckland board's overhead charges," said Mr. Mcßae. "The saving could be passed on to the consumer." A vote of thanks was'carried.. - ; < .