OUR READERS’ VIEWPOINT

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 68, Issue 5947, 24 May 1944, Page 5

OUR READERS’ VIEWPOINT

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS “Beware”: Your letter would in other circumstances be permissable, but as this office may be indirectly affected in a commercial way your comment over a nom de plume could so very easily be misunderstood.—Ed. “Resident”: For the reason stated above, your letter is not accorded space.—Ed. “Permittius.”—Your letter is not admissable because of its personal references. To your specific inquiry it can be said that we know of no occasion justifying any suspicion that the Controller has discriminated in the source of supply as alleged. In any case, as on this occasion, circumstances did not arise for an application for permit, it follows there could not possibly have been a refusal.— Ed.

“Candidate”: Declaration votes may be recorded on election day provided that the elector can establish that nonenrolment in the District Electors’ List is because of some error or misadventure in the compilation of the roll. This plainly means that enrolment must have been claimed and signed before the statutory date for the closing of the roll. On the other hand, a person who was qualified to enrol and did not do so will make an admission of guilt and render himself or herself liable to prosecution by claiming a declaration vote on election day.—Ed.

“Family Debate.”: The law certainly makes it obligatory on all eligible people in boroughs to enrol and ample notice of this requirement was given prior to the closing of the rolls. People who did not enrol are clearly now liable to prosecution. It is»implied that every. enrolled elector will vote, but voting is not compulsory. Electors who, for any reason, do not vote at an election for which they are enrolled should, however, record the circumstances as soon as possible after the election, so as to avoid the removal of their names from the roll which, in effect, render them liable for prosecution at the next subsequent election.—Ed.