H—22

XII. ELECTORAL OFFICE In addition to current registration work and the normal procedure of preparing for a general election, the activities of this Branch were increased by the introduction of amending legislation, the conduct of three by-elections, and a cleansing of rolls. Compulsory Registration of Electors Current registration work for the year produced the Seventy°six A^per S6 following figures : Electorates. Electorate. New enrolments .. .. .. .. 63,438 834 Removals by death, transfer, &c. .. .. 95,190 1,252 Changes of address within electorates .. .. 55,500 730 Preparations for General Election This phase of the work entailed the revision and improvement of forms and the checking and replenishment of stocks to meet general-election requirements. Amending Legislation The main provisions of the Electoral Amendment Act, 1945, affected the constitution of the Representation Commission and provided a new basis for dividing New. Zealand into electoral districts by abolishing the " country quota," reducing the " tolerance allowarce," and fixing "adult population " in lieu of "total population" for quota purposes. Provision was also made to maintain the existing boundaries of no-license districts, for a cleansing of rolls to be carried out in a non-election year, for the postalvoting system to be improved, and for amendment to the law relating to offences at elections. By-elections The following by-elections were held during the period:— Hamilton by-election on the 26th May, 1945. Dunedin North by-election on the 21st July, 1945. Raglan by-election on the sth March, 1946. As on the occasion of all by-elections during and after the war, facilities were available for members of the Forces serving overseas to record their votes at the three above polls. Cleansing of the Rolls As the alteration of electoral boundaries was to take place closer to the general election than on former occasions and there was little prospect of carrying out an effective cleansing of rolls during the election year, the cleansing was commenced in September, 1945, and practically completed. This action has ensured that new rolls required to be formed after the change of boundaries will be prepared from almost clean rolls. XIII. EXPLOSIVES AND DANGEROUS GOODS The following licenses were issued : Explosives (new licenses only).—Conveyance, 1 ; sale, 20 ; storage, 23. Dangerous G00d5.—2,123. Reintroduction of Annual Licensing With the termination of hostilities, the various emergency regulations which provided for cessation of annual licensing during the war have now been revoked, and the practice of issuing annual licenses under the Explosives and Dangerous Goods' Act, 1908, and the Cinematograph Films Act, 1928, will be resumed next year.

20