AN IMPORTANT INTENTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2630, 10 August 1904, Page 78

AN IMPORTANT INTENTION.

• A- NEW TOTE-RECORDER. By the " courtesy, of the inventor, Mr W. DslQ, of, St. . Glair, we have been allowed to _ipspect a- new voting machine, which " promises to > revolutionise- the - present cumbersome system of voting by ballot. It should be- scarcely necessary to point out the many disadvantages appertaining to the pre&ent system of voting, as they are well known. -Apart from the abuses under the - present system, some means whereby an election can be conducted more expeditiously .. and. with less, confusion than is the case at -present are very much: to be desired, and anything, that wall help to achieve this will be hailed with unfeigned satisfaction by almost every elector. At the outset, it may be- said' that our representative was at once struck-, with the simplicity and apparent suitability of. the machine for the use for which it is intended— namely, to take the place o£ the present system of voting, which is not "only cumbersome.- and expeneive> but also liable to error and confusion. Mr: Dall has- entertained the idea" for a considerables time that' a. muoh simpler method of balloting, eoul'd be, adapted, and. this was impressed on, him. with- special force at the close of the- Jast general election, and. as «l result "of the complications which aros^ in Bruce and Newtown. Another matter which Mr Dall always looked upon as a grievous waste of time was the fact that ~ .persons, desirous of learning the reralt had to wait until the poll—clerks had counted Jjerhaps thousands .of votes before the issue could be made known. Informal votes are frequently given under the present "system through the voters getting confused, with the result thair candidates "are sometimes robbed of votes which might possibly be of vital' importance to them. The model is constructed so that it cam be used for an election in which there are up to six candidates, and it can be regulated in an instant to allow of the voter recording one vote or more, according to the number I

to be elected. As the machine presents itself to the voter there are six knobs, immediately- above which the names of the candidates are placed, so that the person voting has no excuse for making any mistake in selecting the man of nis choice. ' All that is necessary on the part of the voter- i& to ,press the knob beneath the name of the candidate for whom he wishes to vote and his vote will be recorded as desired by him. The act of recording the vote or votes, according to the number to be elected, locks the machine, and it is- impossible to use it again until the mechanism is released by; the returning officer, or other responsible officer in charge of it. In no ease is it possible to vote for more than the number to be elected. When any one knob is pushed home the voter cannot release it. If desired, the knob can be released automatically - aiter recording a vote either at an ingoing or outgoing door, but, for the sake of convenience in country places, the Jev-er controlling the machine can be placed at the command of the returning officer, the- voter havin.g no control over the machine at all beyond recording his vote. By vC simple yet ingenious arrangement it is rendered impossible for a voter to push in more than one knob at the same time. Each, knob is connected with a bell, one bell doing duty for the whole machine, so that it is impossible to tell which candidate has been voted for, as might be done by noting the difference in tone if a boll was provided for each knob. The person in charge of the machine is notified by the ringing of the belt that the voter has exercised his privilege, and he can release the mechanism to allow subsequent electors to do likewise. All that is necessary to set the machine in working order again is to press a single lever, one simple movement attaining the desired end. The working of the machine is so simply that the possibilities of its going out of order are exceedingly remote, the mechanism being so constructed that there is virtually Ino friction at all. . The key of the machine

can be entrusted to a magistrate or any oth&r responsible person, so that its safe custody is guaranteed. As soon as the poll is closed the machine can be opened, and the votes cast in favour of the individual candidates are shown in an instant, the machine having totalled them in the course of the election. Not only is this the case, but the aggregate mimber of votes cast is also reckoned up by a master counter acting quite independently of the others, so that there is a complete check upon the voting, accuracy thus being ensured. By the employment of the machine informal votes will be impossible, as an elector, if he votes at all-, must exercise his right in favour of one or other of the candidates, and, moreover, all disputes, involving recounts, will be obviated. We understand that the invention has been spoken of in the most flattering terms by mechanical experts, who say that it possesses in a marked degree those qualities so dear to the scientific mmd — simplicity and effectiveness, giving the maximum of result from the minimum of movement. Under the present syotem the cost of a general election ranges probably from £25,000 to £30,000. It is tolerably sate to assert that a very large saving could be effected by the adoption of Mr Dall's invention. Another important feature connected with fhe machine is that it ensures the absolute secrecy of the ballot, which many aver is not attained by tthe system now in vogue. The machine can be used for parliamentary, municipal, or. In fact, any kind of election, and by its use the vexed question of voting on the i»=ue placed before the olectors m connection with local option can be decided without any danger of the result being- upset on mere technicalities. The machine is vory compact, and can bo made in any suitable size, so that if necessary it could be Ira reported on horseback or in any way desired to out-lying- districts. One of the grc-at advantages possessed by the machine is that it will allow of voting papers being dispensed with entirely, ilr Dall's idea being that the- rjas^Dort for a voter to the machine

should bo a voter's right, by means of which impersonation would be prevented, and moreover a great deal of time saved. "Wo understand that Mr Dall will proceed to Wellington shortly to have his invention leste-d in the House of Representatives.