The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1914. THE ELECTORAL ROLLS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 40, 3 October 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1914. THE ELECTORAL ROLLS.

The Registrar- of Electors at Stratford informs us that a very considerable number of improperly filled ill claims for enrolment are reaching him, and while he is anxious to «.ise every effort to get such claims rectified, the time for the closing of the rolls is drawing near, and there will soon he no opportunity to i«Jer back claims to the persons they are supposed to come from. Of course Mr Reeve only takes exception to what may be termed fatal irregularities, such as the complete omission to sign a claim, or the omission to state length of residence, or the overlooking of the fact that it ;s particularly enjoined to give name in full as well as signature. The .instructions printed on the back of the enrolment form are very plain, and how some people can make such surprising blunders as they do, is past belief. For instance, in one case brought to our notice, a lady (we presume it is one of the softer sex, anyhow), fails to put her name in full at the beginning of the paper. She leaves the line a blank. She next replies in the affirmative to both queries: "Are you a British subject by birth?" and "Are you a Britisn subject by naturalisation?" She does not indicate her state—whether -spinster," "married" or "widow." The address of claimant is further overlooked altogether, and her answer to the query as to length of residence is merely given by the figure "8." This might be days, weeks, months, or years! Under such a weight of inaccuracy it is not wonderful that the Registrar should pause and linger until a reply to a letter he ought never to have i had to write, reaches him. The marvel is that anyone so benighted as to witness such a useless (declaration as the sample one referred to exists, and, further, that he (or she) has the conscience to put his (or her) name to anything. On the 7th of the present month-Wednesday next —the Main Roll will close, and those who arc not already enrolled will o<> well to bear this fact in mind. Of course there will be the usual Supplementary Roll, but it is desirable that as nianv names as possible should appear on the Main Roll. As to tfte qualification to witness claims for enrolment—in addition to a gram or two of commonsense—the person attesting the signature must be a /justice of the Peace, a Postmaster, •r an elector of the particular dis- , trict in which the applicant desires to enrol. These are, of course, in addition to the Registrar of Electors or any of his agents properly appointed.