THE EIGHTH BALLOT.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1917, Page 4

THE EIGHTH BALLOT.

DRAWING COMPLETED, The drawing l 'of the .eighth ballot was completed on Wednesday by the Government Statistician (Mr Malcolm Enter), says the Dominion. The last card was drawn before 3 p.m., and the 8646 typpd and arranged in alphabetical order, were Teady for the pointer the same night. This expedition was made possible by improved organisation and increased efficiency on the part of the staff. The system devised by Mr. Eraser now workj smoothly and swiftly. The cards as they are drawn front the boxes at the choice of the marble are taken to an adjoining room, where a staff of girl typists transfer the names, occupations, and addresses of the men to new cards In triplicate. One net of cards is for the printer, a second is for the recruiting branch (for checking purposes), and a third is retained in the Government Statistician's office. -The cards are sorted and arranged by other officers, and from them the lists as published are compiled.

The system leaves no apparent loophole for errors of omission. The cheeks that are applied at every stage make It certain that the dropping of a name would be detected, and the system would enable the officers to discover which card ivas missing. The errors that are charged against the ballot system arise from inaccuracies in the roll, involving the draw-. ' ing of names of men who are not liable. These inaccuracies, which very often We the fault of the reservists themselves, do not concern tho ballot staff, which has tho single duty of presenting names ha they appear in the roll and are drawn < in the ballot.

The checking of the narfmes of the 8445 men drawn in the last ba' ot will Jiroeeed, during this week, and the lists will ba made publio on Wednesday next.