A DISABILITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 847, 20 June 1910, Page 4

A DISABILITY.

VOTING AT LOCAL ELECTIONS,

The disabilities from which, companies and institutions labour in the matter of voting at local elections have (writes our Masterlon correspondent) induced the Napier Chamber of Commerce to bring the matter under the notice of tho Minister for Justice, and similar bodies in tho Dominion. It appears that whilst companies and local institutions havothe rights through their representative who pays the rates fco record their vote, this right is denied through tiie representatives in question frequently being on the roll in respect to their own private pro? pcrties, 'and Ijeing unable to record moro than one vote. The matter was discussed by the council of tho Masterton Chamber on Friday. It would seem, from the Napier Chamber's letter, that the only moans a company could employ to obtain a vote would be to create a dummy representative to pay their rates, which, it was considered, would be a very un» desirable, practice. Mr. Hoodie considered that, as the law now stood, a gross injustice was being done to companies and institutions, and it was decided, on. his suggestion, that tho members for Mastorton and Wairarapa be asked to support airy measure which might bo introduced in the House having for its object tho Tcmoval of the existing dis< abilities.