THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2867, 24 April 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1878.

We lately urged upon all duly qualified persons not already on the roll to take the necessary steps to have their names placed Upon the list of voters for the Thames District. The time for doiDg this has expired, and the claims are now open to inspection by the public, There is another duty in connection with the roll and electoral matters we would now bring under the notice of the public, one, which is of equal importance with that of having every duly qualified elector placed on the roll. It is that of striking off the names of persons who from death, loss of quali-

fication, or any other cause have becorno disqualified. A thorough purgation of the Electoral 801 lis much needed. Not wholesale objections by one political party against another, but a wholesome, searching and complete elimination of a lot of names which have been allowed to remain on the list of voters year after year because no one took the trouble to object to them. The Registration Officer no doubt carries out his duties in this direction in the fairest and most impartial manner; but he cannot be expected to have a know* ledge of the whereabouts or doings of some two or three thousand voters, nor can he possibly keep himself posted as to the qualifications of sach an extensive electorate as is comprised within the Thames District. For several years there has not been an attempt to purge the roll, and the consequence is that with the changes taking place there are hundreds of names on the list which should not be there. It may be stated by some that these names do no harm—that the votes cannot be exercised. To this we reply, that there is no use in keeping on the roll year after year the names of persons who no longer possess a qualification to vote; and further, we cannot expect that the political atmosphere will always be as unruffled as at present. Moreover in time of political excitement the presence on the. roll of scores of dummy voters oilers the temptation to indulge in wholesalo personation. It has been done before, and we cannot see any assurance of the political morality of this community being so much improved that it will not be attempted and even consummated again. We would deprecate any purging of the roll by party cliques. Let all shades of politicians unite in doing this work, so that the real strength of the electorate may be shown when the readjustment of representation comes to be considered. Borne time back, just after Sir George Grey had roused the people of this community from their chronic state of apathy regarding public matters, a correspondent whose letter appeared in both local papers suggested as a practical outcome of the Premier's and the Hon. Mr Sheehan's speeches the institution of a Eeform Association, to look after the interests of the district, and keep a watchful eye on the doings bf Parliament. The suggestion was a very good one, but it was not acted upon. To such an organization might very well be relegated the duty of purging the Roll. We commend this matter to the serious consideration of the leading spirits in this community, especially to members of local governing bodies.. The latter may be supposed to have, as guardians of the public interests, a full sense of the importance which much attach to the proceedings in Parliament during next session. Should the present Ministry be driven to appealing to the country, it is pre-eminently desirable that purity of eleotions should be secured, which we apprehend can best be obtained by the means we have indicated above.