NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, 1 March 1919, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

THE SOLDIERS' VOTE HOW IT IS SAFEGUARDED WELLINGTON, this day. The Electoral and Defence Departments have been in consultation with a view to providing full facilities for soldiers who wish to record their votes in the forthcoming licensing poll. So far as soldiers under hospital treatment are concerned, they are not discharged, and will therefore be entitled to vote under the provisions of the Licensing Amendment Aot, 1918. Arrangements are to be made for polling booths at the hospitals and other institutions for the use of soldiers who cannot poll at the ordinary booths.

Soldiers who receive their discharge before Mtarcli Gth, when the rolls close, will not be entitled to vote in the forthcoming election unless they have become registered electors, and have their names on the roll. The fact that a soldier has been absent from New Zealand on military service will not disqualify him from registration because of non-residence, so that he may apply for enrolment in the electorate in which he formerly resided if he is not able to comply with the month's residential 'qualification in any electorate. If he is living in a fresh electorate he can enrol through the post in his old electorate, and vote in his own district, or in iany district by means of the absent voters' permit.

Soldiers who are now being discharged will be handed a claim for enrolment to enable them to register for the district in which they resided prior to their departure from New Zealand. " Soldiers who land in New Zealand between March 3rd and March 14th will have their leave before discharge extended until April llth ; so as to bring them under the provisions of the Exepditionary Forces Voting Act, enabling them to vote as soldiers, if they arrive on or lafter March 14th, the usual leave prior to discharge will enable them to be covered by the same Act, and to vote as soldiers. Special arrangements are being; made to*, enrol soldiers as they arrive on the transports. MAOEI SOLDIERS. I The position is different in connection with Maori soldiers who are returning. The licensing poll has always been taken on the day of the general election for. European members of Parliament, and by ballot on a special voting paper. Maori elections are*not neccssariy held on the same day as the European elections, and the Maori does not vote by ballot. Another point of difference is that the Maori electorates are not the same as the European constituencies. Therefore, Maoris'have .never voted in licensing elections, sand there was no special reason for bringing the Maori vote into the determination of the special licensing poll on a question on which they had never previously been authorised to exercise the franchise. But Maoris who have not been discharged from the Exppedppitionary Force on April 10th will, as soldiers, be entitled to vote. If they have been discharged on that date they will cease to have a special qualification, and will be included in a body to whom the determination of the licensing issue ha snever been entrusted by Parliament.

SOLDIERS' DISCHARGES NO CHAEACTEE ENTEY. WELLINGTON, this day. No character entry is now made on the certificate of discharge received by New Zealand soldiers on their discharge from the Expeditionary Force. As a number of soldiers have complained of this deficiency it is advisable to explain for their benefit, and' that of prospective -employers who might expect some indication of character on this document, that New Zealand, in common with the Imperial and Australian Defence authorities, abandoned the character entry on the discharges issued immediately on demobilisation, experience having shown thla-t there is great difficulty in justly assessing character from the available records, la&d in the absence of the Soldier's commanding officer. The certificate of discharge is sent to the J soldier's New Zealand address with- j in fourteen days of disembarkation, and must be carried by him/if he travels after dishcarge, under the terms of the four weeks' railway pass, as a precaution against the use of thisyvaluable privilege by those who are net entitled to it« : k '

WANGANUI FIRE BRIGADE WANBANUI, February 27 Out of twenty two applicants +ie Wanganui Fire Board appointed Mr John Williams, formerly deputy-super-intendenti \f - Auckland, is lupennf tendent of the Wanganui Fire Brigade.