Untitled

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2005, 12 March 1914, Page 6

The provisions of tho Counties Act with respect to tho defaulters' list and tho preventing of defaulting ratepayers from voting were dealt with in a, lengthy opinion ?n e T " *?, the - Hutt County Council by Mr ■i J- Martin, solicitor to ti* Now Zealand Counties' Association. Mr. Martin states that under Section 52 of tho Countics Act 1908, as amended by Section 12 ot the Act 1913, a person entered on tho defaulters list in a general'election year, it he pays tho rates, for non-payment of which ho is so entered, before tho first -vednesday in October of that year, his name is to bo removed - from such list and entered on the roll. An elector not on tho defaulters list-on the general election y^ a - v, ,°i w,l ° j s not appealed under the ISM Act, on the ground that ho has not paid Ins rates, payable on or before December 31 in the previous year, is entered on the electors* roll, and the fact that ho gets on the defaulters' list for the next year or the "second year, or both, does not enablo the council to take his namo off tho electors' roll. Tho lca'ning of the law is against disfranchising persons, and in his opinion whore a doubt arises as to the construction of, the .Act rolatinfr to the franchise tbat doubt must be resolved in favour of ho elcotori '