THE MUNICIPAL ROLLS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2205, 18 July 1914, Page 6

THE MUNICIPAL ROLLS

NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT., ' At yesterday morning's meeting'-of the Municipal Conference the report of ■ Mr. James Ames (Wellington's return?' ing officer) oh a proposal'to reform the v method of making up tho municipal-■ rolls was referred to the , executive committee of the association for'consideration. . . :.!.■-■ In his report Mr. Ames said that he thought that the present system of en-.; rolmeiit could be very much improved. ; "The present practice-of handing , out) thousands of forms to irresponsible per- - sons is,-to my mind, a very great mistake, and should bo discontinued. Fifty per cent, of the forms never come back., It is not only costly, but in numbers of cases forms filled up on street corners are full of errors. ; . . "I would suggest that the municipal rolls should be prepared somewhat on ■ the census principle. The council should "set up a department to be called the Electoral Department. An -electoral of j ficer ehould be appointed, and placed in chargeof the rolls.arid be responsible i for same. The City_ should'be dividedinto blocks, responsible men 6hould bo., appointed'to distribute forms of enrolment at- each , house. Later he ehould: call back, collect same, and see that they are properly filled up and forwarded to the electoral officer. "The council may be under the impression that the proposal will be costly but I venture to think it will cost less than the present system. And I am sure will be a mucli more correct roll. The present' cost lo the council for printing rolls is 19s. per page, about 76 names. In addition to this is the cost of clerical assistance ' preparing cards for tho printer, and if the number on the roll was reduced by ten thousand that means a very large amount will be saved." ,• '