THE RESIDENTIAL QUALIFICATION.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11489, 23 January 1903, Page 4

THE RESIDENTIAL QUALIFICATION.

One of the result* of yesterday , * polling dnChristchurch was to chow that a number of persona who had eieotons , qualifications and wished to rote, oould not do «o because their names were not on the district elector*' lief,. It was, of course, their ojm fault that this was m>, but there seems to have been considerable confusion of ideas, not only a* to an elector* qualification, but as to whether every one qualified to vote was, or was not, on .the roil. Aβ it is deeirabie that every qualified person, male and female, eha.ll be registered on the roll, we will repeat the three qualification* of district electors. The freehold qualification consists of the ownership of freehold land in the borough, of the capital value of nob !<*• than £25. The rating qualification requires that the elector pays rates as the occupier of air; rateable property in the borough. For the residential qualification the elector most be the tenant or sab-tenant, or one of several tenant* or sub-tenants holding in single or joint tenancy any building in the borough at a rent of not less than £10 a year. Electors holding either of the two first-named qualifioatioiw are put on the roll by the town clerk, and whether they vote or not their nasnee remain on the roll. Bnt residentkUy qualified electors must not only make personal application to the town clerk of their borough to be put on the roll, but if they fail to vote at any municipal election their names are removed, «* is the case with Parliamentary rolls, and they must make fresh application before they we again registered. ThJa is the reason why in numerous cases residentially qualified elector*, on presenting themselves at polling-booths yesterday, learned for tha first time that the; coold not vote because their names had been struck off on account of their neglect on some previous occasion to exercise the franchise. We trust that not only these disappointed people, but all who ha*« set yet applied to be registered as district electors, will do so without delay. In view of the increased importance whiph will attach to future municipal elections this m a. duty which no resident of Chriatchuroh or suburbs should neglect to perform.