THE MAIN ELECTORAL ROLLS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2283, 17 October 1914, Page 4

THE MAIN ELECTORAL ROLLS

WELLINGTON NUMBERS. \A return has been prepared by the officers of the Department of Internal Affairs to show the number of electors enrolled on the new main rolls. Tho following table shows the numbers for the Wellington electorates, with figures taken from the rolls for 1911, for comparison :— ' 1914. 1911. Hutt 6,879 6,891 Wellington North: ' 6,290 8,225 Wellington Central ...... 5,948 7,931 Wellington East 6,659 7,921 Wellington South ....... 6,762 7,638 Suburbs 5,942 6,303 ' Totals 38,480 44,91.4 Mr. James Hislop, Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs, explained yesterday the drop in the figures. The rolls for 1911 were unpurged, whereas tho new main rolls were purged, so that a direct comparison not fair. In order to inako it as just as possible, the figures of the 1911 rolls were taken after the elections, and represented as nearly as possible tho electors wlio voted and others whose right to vote was proved. "To-day," said Mr. Hislop, "we have a completely purged roll, on which every name is verified. The Registrars are perfectly satisfied that their rolls are clean. Every voter named in them has Been identified recently, or his right to \ote has-been verified by the postal officials who have carried out tho enrolling work." Mr. Hislop said that the reduced number on the rolls, though partly accountable for by the purging, was mainly due to tho war. TJp till nearly the time for closing the main roll, hundreds of electors in each district deliberately put .off enrolling, a-s it was for some time doubtful whether the elections would bo held, and.they felt that they had plenty_ of time. Just at tho last, names came in very freely; and now they were being sent in in groat nunibers.for the supplementary rolls. He could, not say whether tho supplemontary rolls would increase the numbers to correspond with those of 1911, but the totals would certainly be very much larger thnn those now shown. The supplementary rolls are still, and will be, open for some time yet. The closing date cannotbe fixed, as it depends on the prorogation of Parliament and tho issuo of the writs.