ELECTORAL CENSUS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1162, 24 June 1911, Page 3

ELECTORAL CENSUS.

Sir,—l must protest most strongly against certain portions of your article in to-day's Dominion re the electoral census. I do not wish for one moment ■to argue as to whether the Act should havo been passed or not, but (hero it is on the Statute-book, and has to be carried out, and I say most emphatically that you are quite wrong in dubbing the men appointed to carry it out "Government canvassers." I understand most of the men to bo employed (like myself) acted as census enumerators in April last— heuce their present appointment. Your articlo will certainly tend to make their duties more onerous than they would otherwise havo been. 1 can assure you from my own personal knowledge a number at least of them would bo only too happy to see the present Administration turned out. At tho same time they arc sufficiently manly to carry out the duties entrusted.to them in a fair and impartial manner, quite apart from any palitical fceliug. Certainly the Registrars have never, to my knowledge, deserved to have a charge of this kind made against them, and 1 am certain they have not the slightest idea of the political leanings of any men they employ.—Yours, etc., E. Kilbirnie, June 10, 1911. [We have no doubt that many, probably most, of the electoral census collector's will act quite fairly in carrying out their duties. This, however, docs not alter our opinion that the .electoral census is an undesirable innovation, and may at any time be turned to improper uses.]