GRAFTING THE ROLLS.

NZ Truth, Issue 174, 17 October 1908, Page 4

GRAFTING THE ROLLS.

When the Supplementary .Estimates cam? before the House of Representatives for discussion on Saturday last, great interest was manifested m the "Electoral Department," and some pertinent questions were asked regarding tne party canvassers who are peregrinating the various electorates for the avowed purpose of placing electors on the electoral roll. Several members asked if the Government intended appointing persons who would officially canvass the electorates tq place electors on the roll, and a general feeling of dissatisfaction with the present alleged system was manifested. The Prime Minsiter stated, inter alia, That from information supplied to him, it appeared that they were going to have more people on the roll' than .were entitled to vote. The number of people now ,on the rolls, exclusive ot the final supplementary rolls, which would m tihe end be included m the main rolls, would be a great many more than at V 0 last general election. Examination jnto every representation so far had shown that there 'was very, little m the complaints. •■ .- Sir Joseph, while stating that "they were going to have more people on' the roll than were entitled to vote," at the same time considers ' there 4s very little to complain of, which contradiction oL terms is not understandable by the ordia-' ary person. "Truth" has also made some enquiries and the result is not so satisfactory as Sir Joseph would have us believe,' and it certainly would be mpre advantageous, both financially and frbm the point of view of accuracy,, if the Government appointed official canvassers to carry out the work; At the present time there is m the Manawatu electorate a devil, dodger named William Ritchie who has the impudence to place his name on the supplementary electoral roll and describes hjmself , as a minister, of the Gospel. ;' From the fact of his ; name appearing on the supplementary instead of the general electoral roll, it would appear that Ritchie is only a paid tout for the No-lioense party, and has a 1 ..-..rently been; imported to carry on some despicable, dodgery m the electorate. Up to October 6th this daring devil dodger had lodged over six hundred applications with the Registrar ' '[of Electors for the disfranchisement of as many persons by seeking to have their names removed from the electoral' roll of that district,, and gave as his reason that he is convioesd that the persons referred to are not how, residents of the district. From the foregoing it is evident that the loafer has not been even true to his own party, otherwise lie would have travelled the electorate thoroughly and satisfied himself, before playing such a dirty, despicable, low-down game as he has adopted. It !is palpably evident that this no. class, nolicense person has ensconced himself m a comfortable chair, armed with a copy ot the Electoral Roll and a local directory, and such names as did not appear m the latter, he has .religiously struck off the former. In ttife Mart'on portion of the electorate alone there are at least fifty residents, who have, as the result of the 'machinations of this gospel-dealer, been put to, the trouble 'of applying for\ re-en-rolment. 'Of the afore-mentioned fifty names some, of them have been resident m the district for forty years and are hettsr , known -m the electorate than some of the candidates now standing for election and certainly more so than this preacher ot somebody's gospel. The result of Air Devil-dodger's ■ dastardly "deeds is $$*■% many electors, who will not take »'.'-^6}* trouble to consult the rolls, will beVdfei" enfranchised at the forthcoming election; * whilst tlie additional labor, not to'men^ tion expense, to which tlie Rep istik£hM been put, is considerable. If V:z (^divej^^ment had, m its wisdom, appoihtettl m^[ cial canvassers to carry out the worft^jri' respective of creed religion, ><rtl.-%sissj; there would have been considet'&W^fcngre satisfaction and infinitely less to the country and less annoyan-e and anxiety to tlie electors.

Tdie elections will take pi 'ace on the third Wednesday m November (the 18th). A northern editor|j^§^^w;;ipi r its are so strong up thtf* /lj^->m^^eln't know whether it's braiuly • p^ a^ rc hlig'ht procession that's goiiig^a£s& bis throat, ■when he lias a drittfe ;^;B>^}. / When is a man Jfeu^i? : pearly every bobby and beak iJfr,tlio%p r id i ias given the query up. BjM^tfte' f&lagistrate at Stockton (Englahdfe^^^ a bloomer recentfy. He lined OiySl^iPPyle for being dri'-ink, and Jo)inpr&^ Seafaring man — was found at midnigfit'' att'^ji' of a spire of a church. Fancy,- a "drunk" climbing a church steeple ij't midnight ! John D. should have begn rewarded— not punished —for this perf», rma nee. It is said if h at the Adelaide cattle king, Sydney Kidif iaili i ias ma( j e arrangements m London f< jr the floating of several ot his mmensc. tracts of country into joint stoclf : ;qr other kind of company. ihere'i^l^.jjip, flies about Kidman. In the b "SfeH^M«^ushn>an to the manner born, ''^MMJJi^I Struck London town he is c *^swl?t\Hth' havin.'.>- developed a penchant fori ;.£ «|pf",hat and /logger, coat, and now W^foris &6sc up at his pet animal, t.ho gee^^^ jj c lias no j ess thap two up-to-■fl&W'inOtpr-cars, and is seeing as much oi W^fmii.6,^ ho possibly can. As .Wnglan'l >^ only about the size of 'one of Kidman's •ftations up North, he should find no difficulty m boundary-riding it. There was 'little of the howling swell about Syaiicy whenever he struck Adelaide. Perhaps it will interest those English. •Johnnies, who estimate by his moustache and the loudncss /of his vest and his gold : Mbert to know that Kidman used to wear ! -a bit of green hide for a watch chain. He was the least likely looking millionaire that ever was. One day Kidman called m to sec his bank manager at Adela de. That dignitary wasn't m, but Syd. saw his hat 'on the table, and dpulited the information. "Oh he has gorie out with ; liis other hat," said the clerk. "Great Scot!" said the cattle k ug, "So he J»as two hats, while I've only got one l.'i .