ELECTION DAY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 263, 10 December 1914, Page 10

ELECTION DAY.

NO UNDUE EXCITEMENT. PARTISANS BUSILY EMPLOYED. BIG POLL ANTICIPATED. Although this is election (lay there has been but little difference in the general appearance of the city streets. Business seems to have been going on as usual, and were it not for the small groups of people at the doors of the buildings used as polling booths, a stranger would not know that anything unusual was toward. There has, of course, been a great bustle of motorcars, but that is not at all out of the way in Christchurch. Christchurch is the city of motorcars. There are so many cars always in the principal streets that even the increased activity of election day fails to attract much notice. It is different in the other three centres of the Dominion, .where practically the whole of the population lias to climb several hundred feet on its way home from the business centre. In Dunedin and Wellington, cable cars are always croAvded, whilst in Auckland heavily loaded electric cars groan loudly as they ascend Welleslcy Street, College Hill, or the Parnell rise, as they journey out to the suburbs. Therefore the invasion of the city by cabs and cars on election day is always an event in these cities. The flatness of Christchurch makes for a widespread and therefore less densely populated town, and on the busiest of days the Cathedral City has nothing to show like' Queen Street in Auckland, the Bank of New Zealand corner in "Wellington, or Customhouse Square in Dunedin. Where these cities build up, Christchurch builds out. The city of the plains has more streets, and longer streets, and therefore any unusual increase in traffic is more difficult to notice. But still it has been there.' Every owner of a motor car has some interest in the various issues before the electors, and he cheerfully lends liis vehicle in the hope that he will be able to take to the poll someone who would be otherwise too careless of his privileges as one of the "free and enlightened" to exercise his suffrage. The brewer and the hotelkeeper, as a rule, "knows his mark," and makes -no mistake as to which house his car goes to; neither does the wealthy.shopkeeper, who is of the opinion that indulgence in drink makes for inefficiency in liis employees. Political candidates run a risk of carrying opponent's to the nearest booth to vote against them, but they cheerfully take the chance of capturing a fair proportion of the votes they gel recorded. They recognise the fact that there are many people who look forward to election day as the only 'day in three years on which they can indulge in a "joy ride "—which costs nothing —and were it not. for the visit.-'of the car or cab, and the solicitation of the election agent, these people would not even bother to exercise the privilege for which our ancestors have fought since the days of Magna Cliarta. This is especially true of the ladies. In view of the suffragette agitation at Home it is a solemn thought,, but it is quite true. Of course, the law forbids candidates to hire vehicles to convey electors to the polls, and it is under pain of severe penalties that anyone is allowed to speak to a voter on the way to the poll as to how he or she should exercise the privilege of the suffrage. But the law is not powerful enough to prevent the hiring of every available cab and car in the

city for election clay. Ask the owners of public vehicles to-day. Voting: proceeded quietly this morning, and there was no sign of rush in any part of the city. Experienced returning officers say that they have seen no signs of unusual excitement. Voters have been arriving steadily at all the booths during the morning, but the officers have not been unduly pushed. It is anticipated, however, that later in the afternoon, when the shops have been closed and more people are free, there will be more activity. There J are indications, however, that the poll ; in all the city electorates will be a heavy one, and that the interest which has been shown in all issues during the last fortnight will rQgult in one of the biggest votes ever known in Christchurch. The polling in the Kaiapoi electorate is proceeding steadily, but without any excitement, both sides being equally confident of their party 's success, so that the election is marked by quietness and good humour. THE SOLDIER VOTE. DELAY IN THE FINALS. Press Association. WELLINGTON, December 9. In to-morrow's election there will be a. new factor, which may possibly alter or modify the results as announced on the night of the election. This is the vote of the members of the Expeditionary Forces at present on active service. Under the special legislation passed la§t session, every member of these forces was entitled to vote as an elector in the district where he resided before enlisting. As these votes number some ten thousand, and will be counted as absentee votes, i.e., after the day of the election, when the official scrutiny takes place, to-morrow's results cannot be accepted as final, especially in cases where the contests are close. It will probably be two or three days before the actual results are known.