The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AMD FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. "We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice." FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1919. RETURNED SOLDIERS' VOTES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 8, Issue 459, 21 March 1919, Page 2

The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AMD FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. "We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice." FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1919. RETURNED SOLDIERS' VOTES.

By some means or other a bungle has been made in official circles in re eturned soldiers' votes in connection with the Licensing Poll to be taken on April 10th next and unless some new regulation is gazetted it is authoritatively stated that quite ,100 returned men in the Auckland, district will be deprived of theirs rights of exercising the franchise. Presumably there will also be a similar loss of voting power in other parts of the nQniiniou. The error has been broiljbt about by regulations being Jmiended almost on the eve of the closing of the supplementary electoral roll. On December l"th last it was gazetted that soldiers who returned to New Zealand after February Ist could vote as members of the Expeditionary Force but on February 25th an amended regulation appeared ju the Gazette requiring all soldiers* returning before March 3rd to j make application for enrolment on the electoral rolls. This amendment was not made public for some days after its appearauce In r the " Gazette " and the result was that many soldiers were unaware of the change that was effected and tool: no steps to enrol, naturally thinking that their interests were -#lly protected by the announ"ment of December last. That returned soldiers should suffer for the variable moods of one or other of the Government Departments is contrary to equity and justice and public indignation will naturally be great if men after gallantly fighting for their Ring and country arc for no fault of their own denied the rights and privileges enjoyed by other sections of the community whose lot did not necessitate' them Inking part in the war. The Government apparently late in the day came to the conclusion that the Licensing Act as passed in Parliament only provided for taking the yotes of members of the Expeditionary Force and that consequently a soldier discharged ("'tween February Ist and March 3rd was no longer a member of the Expeditionary Force and could not legally claim voting rights as such. This may be the law but if so it was the Government that was responsible for the earlier error and it is I for them to design some method Iby wli'ch the anomaly can be i rectili..''!. A suggestion has been | made that the discharges of the men effected should be cancelled I and thai tin.} should he placed on ] leave without nav thus preserving i • I tT.fi: membership of the Expedij tionary Force and entitlin" them to v«.U in ;-rcn:;l-,r. ■.■ therewith. I It this i; found feasible it affords ] anvasy -oh;I ion of the difficulty i lit;) in :•!!;■ ( ! ■' ii I - ill" (hltv of ' :!••• ' • ■ ■!•'!•!!• :i' !•> d \ ise -onie ii'.-w i ".'.ulation in < ompliance I witli 111'- [.icen- ing Act b\ whid) I n-'ii a : - oldici will be ! penali -ed U>\ hi !■ mpnrary ab- ' sen"c- ti oin I he I )oinini<>n. ' i