THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE KAIPARA ADVERTISER & WAITEMATA CHRONICLE." HELENSVILLE, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1914 ENROLL! ENROLL! BEFORE YOU GET BLUFFED

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 2 October 1914, Page 4

THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE KAIPARA ADVERTISER & WAITEMATA CHRONICLE." HELENSVILLE, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1914 ENROLL! ENROLL! BEFORE YOU GET BLUFFED

Tile Minister in charge of the Electoral Department. (Hon. F. M. B. Fisher) suddenly announced in the-House on Tuesday last that the main roll for the (.'cmiijo; election would be closed on October 7, or just a week .after the utterance. We protest strongly against such a sudden decision, but, of course,

too late, though it is unbearable to imagine the reason for such, hastiness. The general public has hitherto had at least from two to three weeks' notice of the closing of the main roll, which, considering-it Avas surmised uutil very lately that the elections yrould not take place this year, and the people generally are so wrapped up and concerned in the war now proceeding, should have again been extended to a similar period. Sir Joseph "Ward, in speaking to a question asked, said that there was a feeling in the country that a large number of names -of working men and women were not being put on the rolls. He did not blame the Electoral Department, which, he believed, was doing its best to have the rolls as complete as possible, but there seemed to be a great deal of confusion. Hq had received numerous cOMimunications on the subject from practically all parts 1. f the Dominion, and he

Avas assured that there were very many people 'qualified to vote whose names were not on the rolls.

Tlic Prime Minister (Hon. W. F, JMassey) is roportcd to .licLve stated in roply that everything was bwiiii,- done, and would bo done between the present time and the issue of the writs, to have the rolls made complete and perfectly clean. The Echo must assert right here —" That everything- i >s no [ being done to complete the rolls," especially in Helensville and we will give our own personal experience of' a case in point, and at the same time quite agree with Sir Joseph Ward, that larg^ numbers of -eligible votes have not been jihu.-ed upon the main rolls as they should, through neglect and bungling of the department concerned. A-l'tor residing in lieleiisville i'or over three months, accord" | ljjg1 to statutory !u\v, our Editor made, claim tor enrolment on the ivuipara District Ele,'to]-ai Roll. In due course he received a card notice from the .Registrar of Electors at Dargaville. slaving" tliaf his ';him ]iad i bi'cvu duly received and recorded on the roil accordingly. l>ut, strang-e in ;^y\ about six weeks ago, our Editor m-uvlv lost his breath upon reading an oiliciul document from the same Registrar <J' .]electors, statin"1 thai: li !ie 3ia-l r<>*vui. b) believe E'ruuOjs M-OA.euxie. seuior. journaiisr, ».>[' Ilelensviile, was X'.r;' i:>;"i-ir i-;.:;j> to a ]>lace on the (Snakes alive ; opare us, and ' tl.is^ too, o!i tup oi' vli.e foi-aier | recognition. Mr .bVs. Mac- ! Keuzic repi'Cii that lie thought ' iiie proreedin;;; a strange one, ! an-:! asked i'.»r "% Ziic reason ■ Vi'uy :'; skiiiiig that he had j held electoral rights in the Bay j

of Islands for 34 years, and as he had left that district and was now permanently located in the IleL-nsville, he would like to know something further. Nothing later has been forthcoming. Here' the story ends so fat', suttice to say that unless our name appears on the Main Roll, there will be the devil to pay. We shall make it hot and strong for someone.