BAY OF PLENTY SEAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18049, 24 September 1920, Page 6

BAY OF PLENTY SEAT

AN UNUSUAL REQUEST.

WELLINGTON, September 22. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Wilford) stated in the House of Representatives to-day that he had received a telegram from tho chairman of a public meeting held at Te Karaka, in the Bay of Plenty district, reporting that the following motion had been carried—"That this meeting emphatically protests against the action of tile Government in closing the electoral rolls, without notice, thereby disfranchising hundreds of voters, including returned soldiors, settlers, and workers." The meeting, added Mr Wilford, had urged that steps should be taken to enable unenrolled electors to vote by declaration. He suggested that at least the returned soldiers should be allowed to vote by declaration. Mr Massey: I suppose tho honourable member knows that it was a candidate's meeting:? Mr Wilford: The telegram does not say that. The hour of the dinner adjournment having arrived, Mr Massey said he would mako a statement when the House resumed. When tho Housed resumed at 7.30 Mr Massey mado a detailed statement as to the position. He said ho did not need to tell Mr Speaker, or the House, that when a vacancy occurred durin-g a session of Parliament. and Mr Spcikcr had been ordered to do so by the House, ho had to issue the writ for an election forthwith. He did not often seo the Gisborne papers, but he happened. to know that, advertisements had been inserted, and locals published, calling attemicn to the issue of the writ. When tho' vacancy occurred the electoral officer had seen him, and" asked or his advice and .any instructions. He had told him to simply comply with the law and use his own judgment; neither to hurry nor to delay the election, and he could say now that' his instruction had been carried cut to the very letter. Mr Massey went on to refer to parallel cases in recent years. In, July, 1911, the Christchurch Nor*h seat had become vacaait through the death of Mr Taylor. Six days after his deatr the writ was issued, aind 20 days after liis death the election took place. In November, 1913, Mr l.aurenson died. Five days after his the writ '[or the Lyttelton election was issued, and 19 days after the election took place. In July, 1916, when the member for Pahiatua died, tile writ was issued in five days, and hi 19 days the election was held. _ In the present case the writ had not been issued until 14 days after Mr MacDonald's death, as compared with five and six days in the other eases. There had been other deaths in recant years during tho epidemic, and in those cases the law had been strained somojvhat because tho public health authorities had advised tho Government that it would be dangerous in tho extreme to hold a.n election. Under tho circumstances, everything possible had been done to comply with the law, and it was extremely unfortunate that some wouldbe doctors had not been placed upon the roll; but, so far as ho was concerned, he had done everything possible, and it would bo exceedingly dangerous, and a Very bad precedent, to agree to Mr Wilford's request. lie had never heard of anything of the sore having been done during all the time ho had been in Parliament. Hon. mombeirs. of course, knew (hat when a death occurred during the session the position was different from that at any other time. In the recent election at Stratford the election took place six wcelcs after the seat had become vacant. He had taken the responsibility of fixing the date himself, because, though some of the best legal talent in New Zealand had informed him tliat he was not justified in bringing on the election until after tho House had met, he had como to the conclusion that he was not justified in leaving the seat un,represented. There was a precedent for that in his own case, when ho was first elected to Parliament. He -was soi-ry that lie could hold out no hope of complying with the request of the Leader of tho Opposition. Mr Witty: How many soldiers would there bo? Mr Massey: I could not say, but there would foe very few. Besides, they are not soldiei-s now; they are civilians in tho ordinary sense of idle word, and you camnot treat one differently from another, much as one would like to. do so.