"ELECTORAL ROLLS."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 609, 11 September 1909, Page 10

"ELECTORAL ROLLS."

Sir,—On perusing your columns in yesterday morning s paper, I noto you give n fewfacts supplied evidently by tho Electoral D - pnumcnt lo tho uninitiated it may sound as good business, tut I believe in giving credit to ihoso ivho do the work, namely, the regis* •trars of the electorates, for they supply the whole of'the data upon which the staff of tho Department work. It must not be forgotten that if the said registrars did not send .in trausfers, • change of name, residence, etc., for spy* months at a time, tho staff would have no woyc to do, and the existence of tho Depart* mcnt as a ''necessity" challenged. Upon this poinvthe necessity of creating tho Electoral Department, the member 1 for Christehurch East, Mr. Davey, entered his protest on tho floor of tin House, and in that view lie supported J[ that well-known registrar, Mr. Williams, ■that tho present systenvof "roll compilation" has thrown a tremendous amount of work upon the registrars-cannot be denied. ..The Department cannot, deny that the registrar, is, under the present system,. compelled to "duplicato" the whole of his ..work'. His "standard" roll is the. basis of the whole business,' and he for* wards on tho forms 52 and 52a the alterations ho has made, and it is a tidy job. For this vast ambunt of work ho receives a paltry pittance, and, to my mind, savours of'sweatihe. .My contention is, that the registrar could alter.and prepare his roll in half tho timo it has taken the .Department, .foil it is now nino months since tho general election, and we have not got the 1909 roll yet, leaving only really ..three months use of pame before'it is again replaced, by a new print for 1910; both, I contend, a shameful waste of money. It is only in the case of a Tjy-election" that can even.-lus-tily this extravagance. It certainly gives work to tho Government Printer, but that is not good economy, from a business point of viow, IriG amusing part of tho business is tho registrar iscompetent; enough to print tho suppx>. meutary 1911,. but not tho mam roll. Therein lies an argument that' is fatal to tho "ex. pert opinion that will no doubt bo' brought co refute my-contentions;' Apologising for trespassing so far- on youi- valuable spaco, but .ft sincere feeling that the "electoral rolls" of the Dominion can bo compiled by the registrars,'.without endangering their accuracy,-and minimising, the expenses in connection therewith, is my sole'reason.—l am, etc., - ' Wellington, • ••' ;