WEDNESDAY POLLING NOT FAVOURED

Chronicle (Levin), 30 October 1947, Page 5

WEDNESDAY POLLING NOT FAVOURED

WELLINGTON, Oct. 28. In tlie IIou.se of Kupresenative.s, NI r. J. N. Massey ( l-'rankiin;, continuinq the seconii reading debate 011 the Locai .Elections and bulls Aniendment Bill, said that it local body elections were to he lield 011 a Wednesday, it was imperative tliat the services of the most eilieient persons should he availaule to conduet the elections and that publie huildiugs, especially schools, should he a\ailahle. Thert* would in* a treinendous upheuval in connection with educational fa-ilities aiul a "treniendous army oi people would he oceupied 011 Ijolling day to the inevitable detriment of production. The Wellington City Couucil liad estimated that it would require 1400 worKers to conduct the poning in tlie capital city and 011 that basis 1 0,1 m mi to li'jOOU persons would be needed throughout the country. Mr. W. A. Sheat (Patea; said even at tliis stage consideration should be given to etiangiug back froin Wednes day to Saturday polling. The psycholo gi.-al efiect, at tlie time of tlie cani paign tor niore production, of virtually asiiing every employer to close down from :i p.m. on polling day, would be j very serious. It would involve the loss 01 two hours working time for about 4(io,ooo people and the cust would be betweeu £ 150,000 and £200,000, merely to enable those who were too lazy to vote 011 Saturday to do so in the eiuplyers' time during the week. Any who were unwilling to.give up some siiiall amount of time 011 their free day to vote in the ioeul elections, did uot deserv 'e the lianclnse. The only rea sun for the change was that the Labour IJarty knew inauy of its so-called supporters were too lazy and inditferent to record their votes 011 a Saturday, but ti, make such a change at ihe presem tiiuf uiif raged ail principles of decency in the ennduct of imlustry. Mr. li. M. MacfarJane (Central Christchurch; said the decision to change from Saturday to Wednesday votmg was taken as a result of detailed evidence heard last year. Opnosition

reterences to the Aid for Britain Campaign were tnerely a peg used to hang arguments 011, for the Opposition had confessed that they were opposed on principle to changing the voting day trom Saturday to Wednesday. ilon. W. E. Parry, in reply, said the Bill was nothing niore than an attempt to liring the locai body elections proce dure in line with that followed at the general elections. He felt that in view of world eonditions today, there was tlie need to encourage people to exer cise their right to vote and the loss of working time would be well coinpensated for. During tlie cominittee stages Mr. Parry in'i-.oduced an aniendment appointing anv primary school a polling jdace under Section 12 of the main Act. Tlie amendnient staled that it shall be tlie duty of the Education Board having jurisdiction over the school, and of the respective school cominittee, to placc tlie school at tlie free disposal of the retu rning olfieer from 4 p.m. on the day preceding the day of election. and ior tlie whole of the day of the election. The cust of cleaning tlie school after use as a polling place shall be deemed to be part of the costs and expenses incidental to the election. The aniendment was agreed to. A further aniendment moved by Mr. S. W. Smith (Hobson) seeking the substitution of Saturday for Wednesday polling, went to a division and was lost by 30 to 37 1 otes. The Bill was passed.