LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1926, Page 9

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

LOCAL ELECTIONS BILL PASSED.

By Telegraph.-—Press Association

Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. to-day.

Speaking on the second reading of the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill, the Hon. R. Moore suggested that power be given to attorneys to vote on behalf of absentees.

The institution of compulsory voting was advocated by the Hon. C. J. Carrington, while the Hon. M. Cohen thought that when a vacancy occurred on a local body, the first defeated candidate at the previous election should be appointed, to save the expense of a by-election. The question of the privileges of criminals was raised by the Hons. E. W. Alison and J. Barr, who urged that they should be debarred from exercising the ordinary of a citizen. In his reply Sir Heatdh Rhodes said that he did not think any local body would approve of attorneys acting for absentees. An attorney might vote in the direction not desired by a voter and the principle was a wrong ope. Many people would not like to be compelled to vote. It might happen that none of tbe candidates was acceptable to a voter, when there would be no alternative but to make his voting paper informal. He could not. agree with the principle of the first defeated candidate being appointed to a vacancy. He felt sure local bodies would not approve of such a. thing, and defeated candidates might be duds. There was a good deal of merit in the suggestion in regard to habitual criminals.

In committee on the Bill a» amendment i the Hon. E. W. Alison that no pern who has been declared a habitual iminal should he entitled to have his ime recorded on an electoral roll, was Seated by 18 votes to 12. The Bill was i&ed without amendment. The Veterinary Surgeons Bill was reified with amendments by the Agriculire Committee.

By these amendments the Minister of Agriculture is empowered to recommend any number of persons to the board instead of merely one. The clauses dealing with verification of applications for registration is deleted, and a new sub-clause is added to the effect that any person who has practised as a veterinary surgeon in New Zealand for not less than ten years immediately prior to the commencement of the Act may continue in practice and use the designation "veterinary surgeon” if he lodges his name with the Minister not later than six months after the commencement of the Act, and satisfies him that he has been practising and is of .good character and repute.

The Council adjourned at 4 p.m. until to-morrow.