EVENTS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5726, 23 October 1905, Page 4

EVENTS OF THE DAY.

THE “ MUD-BOUND ” BACK-BLOCKS SETTLER. In pursuance of our policy of giving especial attention to matters affecting the settlement of the country, a repres. ntativo of the “ Times ” was recently despatched to tho Taranaki _ district, with instructions to inquire into tho conditions of settlement' there and tho difficulties under which tho pioneers avo labouring. The district more closely examined was tho rich belt of country stretching from tho Taranaki railway eastward to the Wanganui river, including all tho land along tho route of tho proposed Stratford-Whnngamomona railway for a distance of sixty miles. This country is coming rapidly under settlement, and is attracting a great deal of attention from pensons wishing to go upon tho land. The area dealt ■noth—about a million acres—may be expected in tho course of a few years to cany a dense population and heavy stocking. Tho results of our representative's careful observations furnish material for a series of graphic and reliable articles upon the conditions of life in these hack-blocks and the unique difficulties of transport under which tho pioneers are at present labouring. The story of tho “ mud-hound ” hack-blocks settler will prove of interest to his comfortable cousin in the town ; and the conclusions readied by our representativo will give food for earnest thought to all to whom the prosperity of our country is a matter of concern. The first of the articles, which will ho a daily feature of tho “ New Zealand Times,” appears this morning upon page 5. FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHT POINTS. If things in tho football field go on much longer as they have been doing ever since the Now Zealand team kicked off ill England, the tour will become almost absurd. Eleven matches have been played, and already our ‘stalwart and athletic sons” have passed the fourth century of points scored, with only . seven points against them—lol points to the good! The question inevitably arises, ‘‘Can they play football in England at all, or should their national game be piug-poug or marbles?” The apologists for England have made vague remarks to the effect that the teams now being met with, are not representative teams. To this we have one answer —among many. The present team representing New Zealand, were it pitted against any Now Zealand provincial or club team, could not hope to register such a huge score against their fellow-colonials as they are doing day by day on their triumphant tour through England. It is too much to expect that our team will bo able to keep up its extraordinary rate of scoring—else wo should soon be looking for the first try-getter to score his century of points. There are sturdy international teams ahead; and those who have played in county matches against our men doubtless will have learnt something about our methods of play and individual prowess that they may be able to make use of when they meet tho New Zealand team again in tho big test-matches. At present, however, the business is rather monotonous. THE ELECTORAL BILL. Tho consolidating and amending measure dealing with the electoral laws has now been passed through both Chambers, and it only remains for the Lower House to adopt tho amendments made by tho Council before the bill is submitted for the Governor's signature. Before these final steps are taken, it is desirable that a flaw in the measure should bo remedied by Governor's message. Under the existing law, informal votes are rejected by tho returning officers and their deputies when making the preliminary return of the elections on the evening of polling day; but in the bill, as passed, it is directed that this preliminary count shall include all voting papers—none being laid aside except spoilt papers and those of persons who tender votes in the name of voters to whom a ballot-paper has previously been given. Tho effect of counting in all informal votes will be that in many cases tho actual result of the election will not be known until the formal scrutiny and final- count take place, about a week after polling day. There does not appear to be any sufficient reason for thus leaving the result of elections in suspense. The only possible ground seems to bo that some deputy returning officers aro not thought fit to bo entrusted with the work of rejecting informal votes. This

is not an adequate excuse for leaving tho whole country in uncertainly for a week. Competent men are not hard to find, and the duties are so strictly defined by law that" no great ability is required in deputies. Election results are frequently very close, while tho number of informal papers is often groat. At last general election there were about five thousand informal votes—an average of over sixty for each member elected. Tho local option poll three years ago produced nino thousand informal papers—an average of 117 for ouch electorate, which would mean in the cities between throo and four hundred. It is palpable that, if all the votes arc included at tho preliminary counting, tho returns pub--lished will not be a reliable index t® tho of tho election or of tho local option poll. Experience has shown that tho deputy returning offi-cers-do (ho work of rejecting paper* so well that their judgment is rarely found at faujt:_and this makes it all tile more inexplicable why a change in tho practice of counting tho votes is 1 proposed. It is to bo hoped that tho Premier will see tho desirableness of restoring the electoral law to its former state, so far as the counting of vote*' is concerned, so that our little world of New Zealand may know with some degree of certainty, on tho morning after election day, how the momentous issues have keen decided.