The Wairarapa Daily TUESDAY, JULY 9, 1889. Registration of Electors.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3251, 9 July 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily TUESDAY, JULY 9, 1889. Registration of Electors.

The new Registration of Electors Bill now before Parliament provides for the issue of a paper, called an elector's light, to all claimants who may prove their right to be inscribed on the electoral roll for any district, It also provides for the personal attendance of all claimants at tho registrar's office, in order that they may be put on the roll, and it obliges theip. to pay one shilling for'the privilege, The intention of t|io Bill is excellent, as it seeks to prevent ti system of roll stuffing and roll padding which is tolerably.easy under the existing law. Candidates and candidates' canvassers have been wont in the past to display considerable enterprise and ingenuity in pitch forking into rolls the names of all sorts and condition? of men, irrespective of their qualifications for the position. They supply themselves with a big bundle ef application forms and get them filled iu somohoir or somewhere, The electoral officer, who is usually an underpaid and overworked official, burdened with multifarious duties, is powerless on tho eve of a general election to verify a large proportion of the applications which come before him, Especially when they come in, as some people carefunV "' aco " iera ' at elevetitli hour, when the rolls has to be at once pushed is the work of revision simply hopeless, The question arises now as to whether the remedy proposed by the Government is the best possible cure for roll stuffing. That it will diminish it there can bo but little doubt, but while it places obstacles in the way of unqualified persons becoming voters, it also is calculated to deter many men who havo a right to vote from registering, It is supposed to bo a meritorious' net for a politician to' see that overy man who is qualified to vote is (1) on the roll and (2) that he exercises his vote. This is the right of a political candidate, -and it is [obvious that it is limited if unnecessary obstacles are placet! in the way of registration. That the payment of a shilling lor an electors right and the personal attendance of applicants at the Eegistrar's office are obstacles must -be admitted, and the necessity for them to suppress a far greater evil must bo clearly established before the House and the country can bo expected to accept them. There is an Atkiusonion touch about the shilling fee which will be received with mixed feelings,

A shilling is not a large bum for an ladiyidiiul to pay for a privilege, but I' lo aggregate shillings will represent soveral thousand pounds, and will be one of those little " touches" which are dear to the Colonial Treasurer. On the other hand an elector will value a privilege for which ho has paid a whole shilling wore than he will one which has couie to him without money and without trouble. The elector's right will cost him both, and the document which certifies to it will he regarded by him as almost of equal importance with his marriage certificate, Any qualified person in the electorate who cares to vote will certainly pay his shilling and make his personal application to the registrar, and the only men who will bo out in the cold will bo those who do not care twopence whether they are voters or non voters, Tho loss of such men from the political system will not bo a misfortune, On the wholo wo should be glad to see the shilling fee remitted, and even the

personal application of tho elector omitted, provided that adequate shecks against roll stuffinj can be

devised without their aid. If wo cannot obtain tin honest roll without thorn, it is worth while giving; them a trial, The evidence of a few experienced registrars would probably

bo conclusive as to the checks absolutely essential to purity of elections If the verdict of experts of this kind endorsed the shilling fee and the personal application, the House would bo justified in adopting them, but the absolute necessity of such extreme precautions requires to be clenrlv demonstrated,