A "ROLL" DUEL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1046, 8 February 1911, Page 5

A "ROLL" DUEL.

rf, ' iABOUR CONFRONTS TOWN CLERIC. IN INTERESTING CONTROVERSY. Tho president of r tho Trades Council (Mr. E. J. Carey) is'not yet satisfied that the purging of .the, municipal toll lias ■been carried out in a manner that is just and fair to the electors. Speaking yestprday to a Dominion reporter, ho said: "Mr. Falmer's itatenient that all subsequent supplementary rolls (those compiled after the general election of 1909) havo been embodied in' the main roll, is not in accordant with facts. lam prepared to prove that there are names of electors ou the 1909 and .1910 supplementary roll who voted, in some cases at two, and in all (ases at one or other of the flections since 1909, whose names nro not on the new roll. I admit that Mr. Palmer, in his capacity as Town Clerk, has taken special pains to advis,o electors of their responsibilities. But 1 say, without hesitation, that an advertisement, no matter how big Kir expensive, will not kill the impression that is abroad that a' voto cast in 1910 -ensures, without further .effort oh the part of the individual concerned, a vote in tho forthcoming municipal election. "At the outset of the controversy," con- • tinued Mr. Carey,- "I stated tJwt ou tho main roll now 'compiled, -which contains 16,000 odd names, -as against 30,000 odd ou the previous roll, there were omitted tho names of electors who had enrolled v after the IPO9 election, and who had voted at tho 1910 Mayoral election and tho byelection in September, 1910. I now find, on further inquiry, that there aro cases of electors who voted at tho 1909 election, and who failed to vote at the 1910 Mayoral eloction and . the bv-eleetion, who also have been struck on. ' In fact, I have found this: that no official h<;ad in the City Council is ablo to niako a detinito statement as to what preciso method was used in connection with the purging of the roll. "The Real Explanation." "The real explanation, in my opinion," proceeded Mr. Carey, "is that electors, and especially the Labour electors, have.to fuller because •' of • tho mistakes ■of officials engaged on election day. Because of tho many proven mistakes on tho part of theso officials''thero' is no' guarantee that any man's narao is on tho roll. All jhat I am concerned about is that every ♦lector 6hall sco to it that ho is not disenfranchised, because of bungling on tho part of officials and poll clerks. ' "It would bo far better," Mr. Carey ®oxt suggested, "for tho wholo.of the (parties conccrned if the City Council would make, a ■ straight-out declaration that everybody's namo has been struck off the roll. Then wo should know where pro werp, but to leave it: in this half- - and-half way often means tho disenfranchisement of tho people we want, of our main supporters, tho residential trotcrs." . ■ ' ■ Another complaint voiced by Mr. Carey •was that although not actually denied enrolment' forms ho had been needlessly delayed at tho co.uncil offices when making application for them. "Last timo I went down for 500 forms," said Mr. Carey, "I was kept waiting for half an hour and then A was sent from Mr. Ames to Mr. Palmer!. beforo I could get theui. If it is a matter of the cost of printing," concluded Mr. Carey, "I will undertake that tho Wellington Trades Countil wjll pay for tl\c printing of a few thousand forms." Mr. Palmer's Rejoinder. "Thero seems to bo some misunderstanding as to the various rolls Hint have been' wed," said the Town Clerk (Mr. Palmer) when the foregoing statement was laid before him. -The main roll used at the elcc- - tion in 190 D was dated March 25, 1909. It names. Tho supplementnry roll, which was prepared and used at tho samo election, was dated April IS. 'lioth theso rolls Imve been purged. The supplementary roll that was prepared prior to the Mayoral election in 1910 was purged and in 'its expurgated form •mbodicd in''tho.new main roll. A small supplementary roll prepared on September 2, 1910, • has also been embodied •in tho new roll. Failure to voto at any ono election or by-election, .Mr. Palmer added, made an elector liable to have his name struck oIT the roll. Dealing with Mr. Careys statement that he could prove that certain electors had been struck off tho roll although they had voted, Mr. Palmer eaid Mr. Carey hid made th? same assertion that day to Mr. Ames. Asked to give names, Mr. C'irey mentioned three. Consulting the documents used at the election in question, Mr. Ante* found that theso names were not ticked oIT. 110 was therefore bound to assume that their oivtiers had not voted. '"As to Mr. Carey's assertion that .no official head in tho Citv Council is ablo to inako a-definite statement as to the methods followed in purging the' roll," raid Mr. Palmer, "I am at a loss to kuoiv what he means, inasmuch as lie has never como to my office tn iiinke inquiries shout tho matter. Mr. Carey has never applied to me at all. ond so far as I know has only spoken to Mr. Ames on tho subject. The Lion's Share'. "As to tho • complaint about claimforms," said Mr. Palmer, "if it Is meant to have any general bearing there must be some mistake. Of tho first ten thousand enrolment forms printed, it ds safe to say that fho Labour party, through its various secretaries and officials, has been given betweeu fivo and six thousand. As

to tho delay, of cour.-o callers ,u this oflico sometimes find that tho clerks I'.re engaged with somebody olso, and have to wait their tnrn. Kvcn Mr. Carey must understand that there is other work going on in the Town Hall tlinn tho business of tho roll. Tho clerk who supplied Mr. Carey with tho forms computes that he was not kept uniting for inoro than ten minutes". I will undertake to say that he was not kept waiting one moment longer than was ah-Mutely necessary. "A <i to wlmt Mr. Carey says about the mistakes of ollieials," remarked Mr. Palmcr, "no value can bo set to it. Lnch man employed knows his duly and carries it out. Tho duty is n very simple one. It is a fact that many men offer for tho *orl< who have to bo wi-wlwl out becauso tho) arn hot found'suitable," Concluding, Mr. 'Kilmer mentioned that ho had been called upon that morning br Councillor M'Laron and Mr. 1. Smith, as a committee from tlio Trades Cuuwil. With them ho had gone fully Into Ibn (j'lestion of the law. regulations, law, and the practice governing U»i prrparnOion of tho roll and its uso at ejection time. "No doubt," said Mr. "tluco gentlemen would be able to ••.'rLvfy Mr. Carey somewhat in the uimtvfi"