CITY'S ELECTION ROLLS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1849, 8 September 1913, Page 11

CITY'S ELECTION ROLLS.

—6 THEIR PRESENT STATE. SPECIAL REPORT TO COUNCIL. Some time ago a committee was set ilp by the City Council for the following purposes:—(a) To report on the state )f the law regulating municipal electionind its administration, (b) Generally t ■eport on the state of the roll used a ;lio last election, (c) To report on th system of the compilation of tho rol ind tho roll it displaced. Tho committei ilaced its roport before tho council 01 fhursday evening. After carefully con iidering the whole matter and obtaining eports from the town clerk, city solidor, and returning officer, the committw ummariscd the position as follows: — Administration of the Law. —Tho adlinistration of the law has been as satisactory as possible under existing cirumstaJices. Roll Used at Last Election.—The roll i as satisfactory as possible, it having ecu found that all but one of the irreguirities complained of were attributable 3 negligence and lack of knowledge on bo part of tho electors. Half-holiday Question. —The Act and le regulations are at variance CM the uestion of the dato of coming into >rco of tho new roll, tho Act providing iat tho roll comes into force as soon 3 it is authenticated, and the regulaons providing that the roll' shall coiuo ito force on April 1. Recommendations. The oommitteo expressed the opinion lat it is desirable that the law reguting municipal elections should bo mended, and recommended that tho ty solicitor bo instructed to draft an mending Bill, or, as an alternative, a cal Bill, which other authorities iay adopt. It should include tho folding amendments: — (1) Tho district electors' list shall be made up on or before January 15, instead of Fobruary 15, as at present. (This will enable the manuscript to be open for inspection at tho Town Hall until January 22, objections to bo lodged by January 24, and the roll printed by the cna of February.) (2) Applications for enrolment on the supplementary district electors' roll t-o closo on March 20. (3) Two rolls to bb prepared—a ratepayers' and freeholders' roll, and a residential electors' roll. These should follow as far as possible tho linos of the Parliamenetary roll. (4) Tho time for receiving nominations for elections should bo limited to fourteen days beforo the date of tho election. (5) Tho system of voting should be brought into line with tho Parlia- • mentary system, the method being to strike out tho name of the candidate not voted for. (6) Provision should bo made that any vacancy in either tho office of Mayor or councillor bo filled by tho council for the balance of tho term. This is rccommendcd on account of tho grqat expense incurred for byclections. Roll at Eleotlons. In regard to the roll used at eloctions, lio committee expressed tho opinion hat. in order that the best results may 0 obtained it is advisable that tho town lork should appoint an officer in charge undor his authority) to look after the oil, and the compilation thereof. A recommendation of the committee 1 that beforg the names of any elecors who have not previously voted are truck off, notice be advertised in' the aily papers. Certain half-holiday and hospital poll latters wore also reported on. Consideration of the report has been eld over until a future meeting of the