RATEPAYERS’ ROLL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2221, 30 June 1891, Page 2

RATEPAYERS’ ROLL.

ro THI XDITOX. Sis, —I notice from reading the report of the case beard at Temuka on Monday re election committee, the solicitor for the defence stated “ that the Act made no mention of town districts, and it was net,to he inferred that snch districts were meant when mention was made of a local body having the control of reads and highways. If town districts were intended to be included then the Act would haye said so.” One would be led to believe if the above statement is correct, that tewn districts are disfranchised from voting at a licensing election, but the Act under which the voting took place does not support such a theory, but expressly states that the committee shall be eleoted by the ratepayers e£ the district, and this means the licensing district and not necessarily a borough or road district, for some licensing districts embrace more than one road district. Therefore it is quite clear that if the Temuka Licensing District embraces the whole area of the Temuka Road District, Temuka Town District, and the Arowhenua Town District. Then these threo local bodies are sunk altogether, and the ratepayers within the licensing district should be allowed to vote if their names are on the county roll, &c and if not on the county roll there must be grave blunders committed in making ont the roll from the valuation list, or, if this is not the case, someone has blun-

dered in compiling the valuation lilt, for it bespeaks a has to the County funds when rates are struck and collected so if so many names perties are not included' Therefore the above solicitor has overshot the mark again on stating that those disfranchised voters bad an opportunity of seeing that their names and qualifications were correctly recorded, and should have done se if they valued their privilege. If the name was to be put on the roll for voting purposes only, then it would be a privilege, but the name mast come on the valuation list first, which is for paying purposes, in the shape of rates, and from this list to the roll, for voting purposes. Now I question very much whether it is a privilege to send one’s name to be put on the roll for rating pvrposes, and, further, the Council should interest themselves to the extent of seeing that the paying list is as complete as possible in all fairness to other ratepayers whose names are on Then the thing works itself right if the names are carefully copied into the ratepayers* voting tell, and no unpleasantness would arise in the polling booth,—-1 am, etc., A (SOBUTIIfEfR. Tamuka, June 26,1891. [There were no Town Districts constituted when the Licensing Act was passed, hence the reason they are not mentioned.— Ed.]