About Local Elections.

Waipawa Mail, Volume X, Issue 1062, 22 March 1887, Page 2

About Local Elections.

(CONTRIBUTED.)

It is a matter to be regretted in the interests of tho general public thut the modes of voting for all public bodies, parliament included, are not conducted in a similar manner, and he will deserve well of liis country who introduces, or causes to be introduced into parliament a measure to bring about such a uniformity. There is positively no argument that can be brought forward in opposition to this view, while there is much to be said iu its favor. The principal difficulty inel with in practice, however, is the variety of districts and rolls necessary for tna several purposes of general and local government, and many people fail to see why there should be any difference at all. Thus we have the electoral roll for the electoral district, for electing members of parliament ; the riding rolls for the election of councillors nnd licensing committees, the principle of construction varying iu cases where town districts in a riding have been created separate licensing districts ; town district rolls, road district rolls, river board rolls; while for the election of school committees there are no rolls, the householders present being tbe electors, and a novel system of cumulative voting is provided. The object however which the writer has in view at present is to do away with much misconception and misunderstanding with regard to those entitlod to take part in county elections especially, by quoting certain sections of the Counties Act, 1886, which deal with the matter, and others m the Licensing Acts which directly affect county voters, their rights and privileges. By carefully studying this subject for themselves, they will be enabled to avoid continual grumblings against and explanations on the part of couuty officials. Every time an election occurs numerous persons find to their infinite vexation that their names have been omitted, or errors exist in their name, or qualification which prevent them from voting, while in nearly all cases the fault is primarily their own, reeulting from carelessness or neglect.

THE COUNTY ROLL Claims our first attention. The Act states that “every person being 21 years of age. whose name appears on the elector’s roll of a riding shall bo a county elector while such roll is in force ; and every person whose name appears on the valuation roll of any road district or town district in respect of rateable property within a rjding, shall be entitled to be enrolled as a county elector for such riding.” The extent of his voting power will depend upon the amount of his valuation ; thus a capital value of £IOOO or under gives one vote, not exceeding £2OOO, two votes ; not more than £3OOO, three votes ; not more than £7,500, four votes; upwards of £7,500, five votes. In cases where there is more than one person’s name appearing on the valuation roll as occupier of any one property, then only the personjjwhose name appears first

on such roll shall bo entitled to vote in respect of such property. The clause sometimes creates a difficulty, as where the leading nrember of a firm isnon-resident, the remainder of the firm being resident r.nd actively managing the concern, but that may be met by the parties requesting that the second name may be placed on the roll for the* purpose of Voting. In like manner I have seen on a roll, say “ Jones William, per John Smith, trustee.” Clearly only-William Jones is entitled to vote in ' snch case, but there is no reason, why John Smith should not be placed on the roll for Jones’ gratification, providing always he is agreeable. Provisions are also made for enabling the holders of miner’s rights to vote at county elections, but as we have nothing 6f that kind in our district we may pass them over. The next point to be observed is most important, as for the first time a very necesary system has been introduced which has long been included in -the Municipal Corporations Act, whereby persons who have not paid tlieir rates are effectually excluded from voting, and it may he fairly assumed that in consequence many persons will* thereby lose their right to vote at the general election next November. 4 ‘ The clerk shall on or before the 22nd day of April in each year, make out from the rate book or list, to be called “The Defaulters’ List,” of the names of all persons who have not, on the 31st March last past, paid ail the rates which, on or before the 31st December previous, they were then liable to pay.” He shall also prepare a roll for each riding in the county of all the county electors in such riding, omitting therefrom the name of every person whose name is on the defaulters’ list, and shall enter thereon the number Of votes which each county elector is entitled to give at any county election. There is a provision also where a person has property in more than one road or town district, that the agglomerate value may be taken, as if all in one district. *

A copy of the rolls for the several ridings, as well as of the defaulter’s list shall be kept at the office of the Council, and a copy of the roll for eacli riding, and of so much of the defaulter’s list as relates to the riding, shall be kept at some place in the riding, of which public notice shall be given by publication in some newspaper circulating in the district, and such rolls shall be open to public inspection from 27tli April to loth May. Any person who considers himself aggrieved by his own name, or that of any other person, being entered on, or omitted from the riding roll, or bj r the number of votes allotted to him, or to any other person thereon being more or fewer than that to which he or such other person is entitled';’ or that anj T person is entered on the roll who has not paid all the rates which he was _ liable to pay on or before 31st December previous, may on or before the last day of May, apply for relief to the Resident Magistrate’s Court nearest to the place where the roll is kept. The Resident Magistrate shall, by public notice, appoint a time and place, on or after Ist of June, at which the land court shall sit and hear all such applications, and after making due enquiry may order the clerk to enter on or erase from the roll of the ridings any name which it is proved to the satisfaction of the court ought to be entered on or erased therefrom ; or to enter the number of votes set against any name on such roll, which it is proved to the satisfaction of the court ought to be so entered ; or the names of persons who have acquired or parted with their qualifications respectively ; or of persons who are known to be dead. The Resident Magistrate may also order the clerk to correct any mistakes and supply any omissions proved to exist in the roll with respect to the name or abode of any person, or the description of any property, and also any clerical mistakes or printer’s errors appearing therein. The clerk shall make all such alterations in the roll accordingly, and the Resident Magistrate shall initial every such alteration. The said rolls so corrected shall be signed by the clerk, and shall come into force on the Ist July ensuing, and it shall be the elector’s roll for the riding, and in force until a new one is made.

With regard to those on the defaulters’ list, if they pay the rates due at anj T time before the clerk signs the rcll finally before the Resident Magistrate’s Court, their names may be removed from it and placed on the riding roll. There are other provisions in the Act for the formation of new ridings, the incorporation of a new district into the county, the constitution of new counties, &c., to which it is not necessary to refer here, as being applicable only to special cases, when a reference to the Act itself is advisable. It will be seen that every person having a grievance has also a simple mode of getting it rectified. In such cases notice must be sent to the Clerk of the Court, and a copy to the County Clerk, in which the appellant must set forth the ground of objection, as regards which he seeks relief. The model form will be found in the 4th schedule of the Rating Act, 1876. To be continued.