VOTES FOR THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 84, 4 September 1914, Page 4

VOTES FOR THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

The liill which was brought down una parsed by tlic House 011 Thursday, providing a method whereby Iho members pf the Expeditionary Force. could record their votes 011 the political and licensing issues at the forthcoming general election. clearly shows that the (ioveniment will not entertain the proposal to postpone the elections. This is regrettable. The only point to consider nojr is whether the measure will satisfy reiinii'.'tnenf s iin.l prfiVflnt, ||mr jnlllllf jflll ■

being done. It is recognised that the Bill is a most extraordinary measure designed to meet a question bristling with difficulties, and that the extraordinary circumstances necessitated jin extraordinary measure. in the main the Committee to whom the Bill was referred have done their best to solve an extremely knotty problem, and though it is probable that defects will appear, when tho provisions of the Bill are being put in operation, it is a fair attempt to give the absentees a vote. The only alternative was to make provision for the men voting by proxy, but this did not meet with much support. By giving every member of the Expeditionary Force a vote a wise course has been adopted, .but it is conceivable that the method of voting may lead to a number of votes being lost. The voting paper provides only for recording a vote to either a Government, Opposition : r Labor candidate, no provision being | made for Independents. Moreover, it la provided that if there is no candidate declared as representing the party for which the vote is given, the vote shall not be counted. As was pointed out | during the short discussion of the Bill, | this provision may and probably will result in some of the men being "cheated" out of thiir votes. For instance, all votes recorded in favor of Labor candidates in constituencies where no labor candidate comes forward will be lost. This could easily be avoided by the bali lot-paper being framed much the»same as it would he if the preferential system were in force, whereby a voter could indicate his preference for a Labor candidate, and in default of there being j such a candidate, then indicating his second choice either for the Government or Opposition candidate, according to his choice.; This would have obviated the loss of the vote. As to the licensing i issue, there need be no fears that any ) difficulty will arise, as the voting paper !is to be exactly the same as that ordinarily used. The Act is only intended to be in force fox the purpose of the ensuing election, after which it expires 1 automatically. Of course, as Mr Fisher pointed out,, unforeseen difficulties may arise; but even if they do, the country can well regard them with philosophic calmness, and even the loss of a number of votes can weigh but little in the balance as against the splendid patriotism of New Zealand's sons in castirfg aside all personal considerations to uphold the integrity of the Empire.