GENERAL ELECTION FIGURES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3025, 23 October 1908, Page 4

GENERAL ELECTION FIGURES.

The advance sheets of the Official Year Book for 1908 contain some interesting figures in regard to the General Election of 1905. The total number of persons on the rolls was 476,473, and the number who recorded their votes was 396,657, or 83.25 per cent, of the number on the rolls. The number of men on the rolls was 263,597, and of these 221,611, or 84.07 per cent voted. The privilege of the franchise was freely exercised by the women, who voted to the number of 175,046, or 82.23 per cent, of the females on the rolls, while in 1902 there were 138,565 who voted, giving the lower proportion of 74.52 per cent. So that (assuming the figures to be correct) there is evidence of a greater willingness now on the part of women to go to the poll than was formerly the case. A certain amount of ancient history is, also, given, and it reminds me of the growth of the Dominion. In 1853 the number of electors to each member was 160, while in 1905 it was 6,269. At the same rate of progress, 55 years hence, there would be, roughly, 244,491 electors to each member, assuming that the number of members is not increased. Probably, however, if administration equal to the splendid administration that has been experienced during the past ten years continues for much longer the population will be rather less than it is to-day.