THE ELECTORAL ROLLS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2240, 28 August 1914, Page 8

THE ELECTORAL ROLLS

■ it • WARM WORDS IN THE HOUSE.' 111 tly; House of Representatives last evening Sir Joseph Ward elaborated a' a complaint that'll? had. ventilated on the I; previous evening regarding'the state of 3 the electoral rolls. He made,a particular complaint regarding rolls in the East Coast district, and continued that ho thought-there was very general coms plaint. with regard to ,the state of, the ia rolls. Ho criticised adversely the measures taken to enrol electors in th& ' , country districts. If he had his way, he said, he would pass an Act of one , clause, providing that every person over years of age should be en- ( ■ e titled to vote ou producing his birth r- certificate. . ■ d A member: Why didn't you do it? ! The Hon. P. M. B. Fisher: In reply J' to the unusually brief and concise question of the right hon. gentleman 6 ' 'Sir J. Ward (angrily): This facetiousj ness is of 110 use in dealing with a niat--9 tor like this. 2 Mr> Fisher: lam afraid the interreg--3 num lias not agreed with the hon. gentleman. Mr. Fisher .said that so far as he> knew, the attempt'to produce an up-to-date roll had never previously been , 0 made so many months before .the elec;o tions. . It was unreasonable to expect ss the Department to supply the main roll ? at the present date, especially , in view , s ; of/the suggestion'that the elections s! should-bo put, off perhaps to uoxt .year. The difficulty about isolated country of electorates was no greater to-day than it bad been for many years past. Every ur' effort was being made" to get the names >k of deceased persons off tho roll, and to £1 prevent fraudulent enrolments. Sir Joseph Ward said lie wanted to , express his regret that the Minisol tor- — o r Members: Order! Sir Joseph Ward: If anyone calls mo to order I shall take my time on tho le Imprest Supply Bill. He went, on to '■> criticise the way in whicli the Minister _ 'had answered his question. . 'Mr.' Fisher: You were pretty longwinded about it. • tie : 'Sir Joseph Ward: I won't take the — hon. -gentleman as a -guido for long es words or short, words, or anything else. ™ 1 Mr. Fisher: May I ask if the right ,a hon'. 'gentleman is in order in commenting on "my reply? • , a Mr. l Speaker:-It' depends entirely upon tlfo indulgence of tho House, Mr. Fisher : I,suggest that Tic should g not,strain the .indulgence of. tho House.' )( j ' Sir Joseph Ward:, I should like'to :<j suggest that the lion, gentleman should r- restrain his manners! Mr. Fisher: Very well, sir, I object. _ ■ .Sir Joseph Ward-sat-down making lE angry remarks which were'drowned in 3D cries of "Order!" e< . . — ■