The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1904. ELECTORAL REFORM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 230, 3 October 1904, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1904. ELECTORAL REFORM.

The stcond reading of the Electoral Jli-'-l wag carried in the House cm Wednesday morning last. The new bill makes considerable changes in the electoral law, which were instituted by Sir Joseph Ward. In moving the second reading Sir Joseph said that the bill was a consolidating measure, and provided, for the creation of an electoral department. The suggested improvements were 'important. It was proposed to compulsorily place on the roll every adult person provided that he or she had been twelve months- in the colony and three months in the electorate. The expenditure from 1890 to 1902 in re-enrolling voters struck oil the roll had 'been £9539. Whenever there had' been a purging of the roils, requests had been nwde for a houserito-house canvass. Probably some means might 'be provided for punishing people who were indiflerent to the privilege conferred on them of a wide franchise, That was to say, people who twice consecutively refused to record their votes might be struck oil for a term ol years. He knew that there was a feeling that the old system of purgling rolls had its advantages, especially in regard to licensing matters. - The sysitem to ibe adopted under the new bill would aim at truo rolls. Besides an Electoral Department it was contended that there sjiould be a registrar for every electorate in the country. With u view to preventing a continuance ol a large number ol members representing minorities, and thus putting an end as far as possible to w,:wt was known as " bogus candidates " —that was to say men standing in the hope of slipping in through a plethora of candidates—a second ballot had been provided lor. Some exception was taken ito the proposal that electors absent from their electorate on the day of election should to permitted to vote. He did nut see what valid objection there could be to tho proposal. In the past electors' rights had been given to shearers, seamen and Commercial travellers, but ho did not favour their general adoption. The suggestion in the bill was to make the deposit for candidates 4J20, aw i a lso to increase the proportion of votes entailing forfeiture of deposit. In 1899 there were only nine forfeitures and in 1902 the number was thirteen. There was no desire to deter any person in the humblest sphere of life from becoming a candidate, but tho proposal had been made by tho Government in order to minimise minority representation. The provisions in the bill rendered abuses impossible in regard to the safe custody of ballot papers. The principal alterations proposed by the bill were that everyone over twenty-one years of age was to be on the rolls on the day of an election, and to h a ve the opportunity of exercising his vote ; there was to be majority representation only ;■ there was to be an Electoral Department created ; the overlapping of electorates was to be prevented by having a registrar of electors who would also be the returning oilicer for each electorate ; and uniformity of system would be ensured. The Minister explained in detail the more important clauses of the bill. It was proposed to abolish all lights except those for seamen, but clauee thirteen jwrmitied any elector temporarily absent from the electorate in which he was enrolled to exercise his vote; such voles to bo deposited in ballot 'boxes especially set apart for the purpose. In conclusion Sir Joseph said he thought that he. was voicing the general opinion throughout the country when he i said that tho electoral system ought to be brought up to date. He was I quite willing to. consider some method by which an incentlvp would J be given to people indifferent tp! their privilege of having the fran-j chise to exercise their votes. '