ELECTORAL ROLLS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18898, 13 January 1927, Page 11

ELECTORAL ROLLS.

FOR LOCAL BODIES. THE AMALGAMATION QUESTION. It was stated recently by Mr <'• AV. Uervey, licturning Officer tor the YVailnnkuriri Kiver Trust election, that a eonsfderablc amount ot' money could be saved if local bu'iies could evolve a scheme wherby one roll could be used for all elections. Mr llcrvey said that there would l.c need for modification of the roll to suit individual requirements and supplementary rolls would be necessary, but in all other respects the rolls laboriously compiled by each local body overlapped, lie believed tliat if all elections were held on one day it would result in a financial saving. AVhcn this statement was brought under the notice of the general manager of the Tramway hoard (Mr Frank Thompson), ho said that the matter had already received his attention. In consultation with the Town Clerk (Mr J. S. Neville) last yc;;r, he had submitted to the Government draft regulations under the -Municipal Corporations Act. which would permit the City and boroughs in the Tramway Hoard area to print opposite the names of electors ou municipal rolls a letter indicating the tramway sub-district in which the elector was entitled to vote. The regulation had not yet been gazetted. It was permissive- only, not mandatory, liy negotiating with the local bodies the Tramway hoard could then arrange that their printed rolls, as used iu April next for the Aluuieipal elections, be used iu the Tramway hoard election iu November subject to the deletion of names of voters who had lost qualification in the interim.

I Supplementary rolls for new voters would still be Accessary, continued Mr Thompson, unci obviously these would be larger than is usual. The Tramway Fioavd area covers several councils, as well, to which the foregoing regulation could not be conveniently applied, anil for these a combined council roll would be used, still with distinguishing letters. "At its last election, " said Mr Thump-on, "the Tramway Board, on its own application, was permitted to combine all its sub-districts and to indicate the districts by letters as J mentioned before. The present proposal is but an extension of the same principle.' Municipal Roll. The Town Clerk (Mr ,1. S. Neville) emphasised the fact that matters would be much simplified if elections could be fixed somewhere near the date upon which the .Municipal Roll conies into force, April Ist of each alternate year. Then' that, roll could be adapted to suit most bodies holding elections. "It would be difficult, however, until all electors in the different local body areas bad similar privileges of votingone man, one vole," said -Mr Neville. "Until this comes about it will be impossible to mako on,, set of rolls suit all elections. As an instance ol tins, take yesterdav's election for commissioners for the'Waimakariri Kiver Trust. Jler,c it was necessary to have the valuation of each properly so that the Deputy Returning Officer could decide Ihe number of voles the elector could cast. .Then again, the Drainage Buard election on January L'oth, complicates matters, because a'person who wishes to be a candidate, must also be an elector in the particular subdivision in which there is a vacancy. This does not apply to wards of the City." Drainage Board Roll. Air C. T\ Champion, returning officer'for'tho Drainage Board election, said that he could not sec any way out of the present arrangement so far as his Board was concerned, lie did not see how local bodies could use the same roll in common to save the cost of preparation of separate ones for each election. . . ~ ~ "The principal objection is that- Hie districts for each local body are not. the same." he said. "The ramng Board's area i, much larger than . City Council district, winch is its-. 1. less than that of the Tramway Board. The sub-districts of these areas arc not the same, and what to tho 'J ram* > Board might be a portion at New Bug - ton. might be ... section ot Avon to • 1„ view of this, it seems to .no lat there is i.o other way than lo com pile separate rolls." Mr Champion considered tnat me Drainage Board would be able to save monev if nominations were perm ttcd to close" two months before the date <> Sion, ,0 where the nominations did not exceed the number ot seaU \J<-.i.u here would need to be no preparation or,ri. i«g ol! rolls for that district. A tt K* the Board was losing money at ,e rate of some £3OO per year. Though v t-: fJ i hi': "vp:li. Jill lui';vS £9OO. In the Woolston area uiateJy -f"-. „.i,; ( .h there would the only f tl^.. U v ; , ., lC lc cost would be an ejection Uus jeai, un be less than £ So. _ ' ~ s . iv i„.r for sonic yesire, as mi. ™ only equalled the vacancies.