LOCAL ELECTIONS & POLLS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1853, 12 September 1913, Page 4

LOCAL ELECTIONS & POLLS.

AN IMPORTANT BILL. DETECTION OF PLURAL yOTINC. Tho Hon. A. L-. HERDMAN moved tho second reading of tho Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill. Ho said that its most important provisions related to recounts and to the prevention and detection of plural voting. In great part tho Bill was based upon remits passed by municipal and county conferences. Ten days instead of seven woro given' between date of nomination and date of election. Another provision was that nominations might bo transmitted by telegram. Mr. Wilford: How will you know that it is his telegram ?_ Mr. Hejdman said that tho clauso had been copied from tho Legislature Act. Section 4 empowered deputyroturning officers as well as returning officers to announce tho result of voting at polling places. Under tho present law, tho deputy-rotuming officer w'aa required to maintain'secrecy, but tho provision was a dead letter." Tho provision for tho detection "of plural voting was new. Another new and important provision was contained in Clauso 10, which enabled a dissatisfied candidate to apply to a magistrate for a recount. The Bill Commended.

SIR JOSEPH WARD (Leader of tho Opposition) said that anything tending to securo tho purity of elections was a good thing, and in so far as tho Bill before'the House did. this it had his support. Ho urged, however, that drastio penalties should be imposed for oral as well as for published defamation of candidates at local elections. Mr. T. 11. DAVEY (C'hristchurch East) commended the Bill. Ho said that a practice that called for suppression -was that of persons under ago voting at local elections. -Some of tho offences - under the Bill, ho submitted, were too paltry to justify the infliction of a term of two years' imprisonment. Mr. G. WITTY (lticcarton) said that tho Bill was a big improvement on tho existing law, but criticised somo of tho detail provisions. Mr. J. S. DICKSON (Pamell) supported tho Bill, but contended that tho existing provisions regarding nominations should stand.

The Hill was commended by Messrs. J. G. Coates (Kaipara), T. W. Rhodes (Thames), J. H. Bradney (Auckland West), D. Buick (Palmerst-on North), and C. E. Statham (Dunedin Central).

.Several members urged that a uniform system of voting should bo adopted at Parliamentary and local elections. A Special Polling Day. Mr. J. A. HANAN (Invercargill) suggested that proportional representation or preferential voting should bo tried in local elections. Ho also advocated setting apart a special day for local elections.

Mr. C. A. AVILKINSON (Egmont) supported tho proposal to hold as many local body elections as possible on ono day: It would be a good thing, ho contended, to create largo combined districts, coinciding with provinces if pos-n----sible, for purposes of half-holiday polling. A No-License Critic. Mr. L. M. LSl'iT (Christcliurch North) said that the restrictive clauses relating to tlio circulation of literature at elections had operated to tlio- detriment ot : tlio iSo-Licciiso party, and had imposed little check on its opponents. i\ir. F. H. SMITH (Waitaki; said that in his experience tlio No-License party as well as others persistently circulated printed matter. Replying to an interjeetion by Mr. lsiti, Mr. Smith said that ho could furnish proof of his statement. ' , Mr. G. W. RUSSELL'(Avon) urged that thoro ought to be provision for a ' moro simple pro'ccduro lor ■ having , a recount ot votes made beforo a magistrate. Ho found fault with the Government for having failed to bring down a comprehensivo scliomo of local ment. Ho could not understand tlio tardiness of tho Government in seeking to solve this groat problem. He suggested also that the Government might with advantage apply tho method of proportional representation at least to thoso cities which woro nob divided into wards. This would bo a splendid tost of tho system, and would bo a good object lesson to tho country. The Bill would, ho believed, have the support of the House. (*. 3. ANDERSON (Mataura) agreed that wherever proportional representation could bo adopted it should i bo adopted as being tho most demo- ! cratic possible system of election. Mr. J. PAYNE (Grey Lynn) said ho thought that whether elections wero local or general all caro should bo taken to ensure the representation of tho "'lir!'A." K. NEWMAN (Wellington East) said ho would support the Bill, and he was glad to know that something was being dono to bring about purity in our local elections. There were constant uglv rumours of malpractices at local elections, and thero was very little precaution taken to prevent them. Ho suggested that'the system of voting, by post should be allowed in local and even in Parliamentary elections. Possibly some day all the elections would bo held on one day, and all on the Parliamentary rolls. The sccond reading was agreed to on the voices. I Tlio Houso rose at 11.20 p.m.