ELECTORAL ROLLS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7928, 11 October 1911, Page 1

ELECTORAL ROLLS

MAKING THEM READY INTERESTING STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER. An interesting statement respecting ths condition of the electoral rolls was made by the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, in tho House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. Tho subject was broached at "question time” by the member for Mataura, who put a query in connection with his own electorate and desired to know when the rolls would be printed. Sir Joseph Ward said that he was prepared to make a full statement upon the whole matter later in the afternoon. Ha had noticed that some people were suggesting that the rolls were not likely to be in a proper condition at election time, but ho could assure the House that this was quite wrong. As a matter of fact there were already a great many more names on the rolls than there were last election’time. Ho apprehended no difficulty in having the whole of the rolls quite ready and right when wanted, so that tho people who had been building up all sorts of imaginary grievances over what had occurred would find that they knew nothing wliatever about it. A TEMPORARY EXPEDIENT. Mr F. M. B. Fisher (Wellington Central) asked whether, any instructions had been given to registrars to accept applications for enrolment in. the meantime, though they would not bo legal until tho law was amended this session? He understood that in the Wellington South electorate there were UOO people entitled to bo enrolled who could not at present get on. He was also aware that there wore many similarly situated in his own district and desired to know if some arrangement could not be made to allow the registrar to take their names, and have the enrolments legalised afterwards. NO DRIFT ALLOWED.

The Prim© Minister said that there were already 500 more names authorised for inclusion om the Wellington South roll than in 1908. If 1400 more people were entitled to go on, of course they would go on. In 1900 there were 8303 effective voters on the roll, while at the picsont moment the number was 8831. lie thought he had better complete hia statement on the matter at once. It was within his knowledge that there was some uneasiness in different electorates owing to the fact that, in consequence of what was don© in taking the tens us, many people found themselves struck off the rolls. ; Instructions' had since been given to reinstate the whole of the people in this position, except in oases where the registrars were perfectly certain that they had left' the district permanently. This was done to prevent the disfranchisement of any people to whom census papers were sent but who had not received them. The matter had not been allowed to drift in any way, but was rooeivTing the closest possible attention. At September 30th, 1911, the grand total on ithe.rolls was 564,333, as against 538,003 in 1903, an increase of 28,330, much larger than was accounted for by the natural increase of population. What had given rise to the confusion wns.that in response to representations ,by members notices were sent out at the time of the census. That in his opinion was a mistake. Ha hoped to legalise what ; was ■ being now done by an amendment of the Electoral Bill which, would put everybody on the roll who had received a census paper, and the purging would take place afterward*. PUBGING THH BOLLS. Mr Massey: How do you propose to purge the rolls? . Sir Joseph Ward: After the main roll has been printed anybody baa a right to object to a name, and it will then bo struck off in red ink. Ho added that everybody who had mot returned a census paper would, be .put-back on the roll, and officers were being sent round to ascertain why they had not been returned. Throughout the, country printing had been arranged for, and would have to be completed within a fortnight .of the time when the cards were, sent m by the registrars. When the rolls were finished it would be found that everybody was on 'thorn. Sir A. L. Herdman said that if the elections wore godeg to take place at the end of November or the b.ginning of December the rolls could not bo printed before the end of October. Sir Joseph Ward said that tho carding of tho Wellington North roll was virtually complete, and would go on to the printers in n few days, and the rolls would, bo finished in time for all purposes. Transfers caused by the alteratiens of boundaries would be effected by departmental officers in the ordinary way.