A PUBLIC SCANDAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12569, 5 March 1919, Page 5

A PUBLIC SCANDAL.

A STUFFED ROLL. . Democracy is defeated by a stuffed Toll! A dirty roll is the stand-by 0 f monopolists—the last cause, democracy lives on a clean roll, Hcthqtt men want deadheads ofi, and live names on- They also want every elector on. a clean roll to vote for against the .Referendum proposals on April 10. That is tho programme of *the Prohibitionists. ' .:. ■. The existing rolls of the Dominion o' el ’ l°ur years old. A percentage of the names arc of dead-men or of men who lutve not complied with the ptovisions of the Act. To leave them' mi the roll is to open tho door for Avidcspread impersonation. The Gov, T . orumont refused to face; thef'task ;\bf preparing new rolls and threw the responsibility upon tho two contending parties of cleansing the roll. Objecturns may he lodged by.,.anyone who finds the roll inaccurate in respect dl any name. The Registrar, however; is under obligation to verify the objoch’oll before the removal of any name.' Ihe Licensed A ietuallcrs’ Association, having no enthusiasm for clean rolls, has done unliving to secure the first requirements of fair play. The Prohibitionists, who have a very pronounced objection to a stuffed roll, have everywhere sought to put everyone on the roll who ought to be on, and to remove all who ought to be off. They have attempted to do their work thoroughly and without regard to the ..opinions of. tho people concerned oil the-. liquor question. Tho objections thus served tile double purpose of removing those who lailed to comply with the provisions ol tlie Act, either through removal or death, and acted as an incentive ti) those whoso addresses did not. square nitii tho roll to correct their addresses, and not wait until the day of the poll in find themselves disfranchised. The 1 inhibition Party found ip one hotel in one of the loading cities 'seven hoarders and twenty-two members of the staff with a legal right to vote, yet on_ that roll the hotel registered approximately one hundred votes. We hold nil the numbers if the statement is challenged. Moreover., the registrar of one elecdeclares that of over 3000 objections issued only twenty-four claim to be still residing at the address stated on tho roll. The Incensed Victualler*’ protest at the removal ;of 3970 deadheads will he thoroughly under:'lood by a democratic, libortv-loving people. . 1,