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H.—l2a.

Wairarapa. —" My roll was never so clean and perfect as for the 1911 election. .. . There is no way of finding out names which should be removed from the roll unless an electoral census is taken." Stratford. —" The census was very effective in disclosing non-residence in the district, and it enabled me to correct the addresses of nearly 3,000 electors whose names were on the roll. In carrying out the requirements of section 50 of the Act (Registrar to assure himself of the right of those enrolled to have their names retained upon the roll), the census was a very great assistance; without it, Registrars would have had an almost impossible task." Wellington East.—" In my opinion it [the electoral census] is the only way an absolutely clean roll can be obtained." Wellington South.—" The electoral census disclosed the necessity for making 2,570 alterations in address, in this electorate. Its effectiveness in disclosing non-residence was most certain. . . . I am strongly of the opinion that it would have been quite safe to have removed all those names that were restored by section 2 of the Amendment Act of 1911." Motueka. —" Its effectiveness in disclosing non-residence m the district was, 1 very satisfactory, as prior to the census being taken it was extremely difficult for a Registrar of Electors* to get the necessary documentary evidence to remove names which he was sure should be erased from the roll." Riccarton.—" Let me say that I consider the taking of the census is an excellent proposal. I am sure that in no other way could such splendid results have been achieved. As showino- the good work done in this electorate, I wall quote the following facts: 1,157 names were struck off the roll as a result of the census; of these, 653 were confirmed afterwards by transfers, deaths, &c, leaving 504. I made searching inquiries in respect to these names, and confirmed 307 of them as being non-resident, the balance, 197, being allowed to remain on the roll. Of this number only 6 voted at the election." Christchurch South.—" My conclusion of the whole matter is that the electoral census enabled me to make a clean roll." Lyttelton.—" No other system than the census would enable Registrars to comply with section 50 of the Act, requiring them to assure themselves of the right of those enrolled to have their names retained upon the roll. The system has worked and without some such system I could not undertake to prepare a roll that would be either complete or clean." Temuka —" The electoral census was the means of enrolling 1,500 new electors and of disclosing that 647 former electors had left the district. Had the purging of the roll as a result of the census been allowed to go on, I am of opinion that it would have been satisfactory and the roll as clean as it could possibly have been made." Waitaki —" As a means of enrolling electors and disclosing non-residence and alterations in addresses on the roll, the census was entirely satisfactory. lam of opinion that the roll would have been better had the Amendment Act of last session not been passed; then the names of all persons objected to who had not replied to the notices would have been removed and any mistakes could have been rectified on the supplementary roll. I was complimented on the correctness of the last roll, and this result was only achieved by means of the census." , Dunedin North —" The effectiveness of the electoral census in disclosing non-residence was invaluable and gave me the opportunity of exercising the provisions of section 50 of the Legislature Act, 1908. Hitherto, we have not been able to carry out this provision with safety.- . . . Had we not been stopped in our work of purging, the result would have been practically a clean roll/' , • Dunedin West —" The electoral census was distinctly effective m disclosing non-residence, and gave me definite information as to the whereabouts of three-fourths of the electors on the roll. I actuallv made 3,400 alterations in address by means of the census. Dunedin Central.—" The census method is an efficient and effectual way of purging the roll. I have nothing but unqualified approval to express of the system." Brnce _<< Its effectiveness in disclosing non-residence appears to me to be the most useful part of the census lam unaware of any other satisfactory means of purging the roll before an election and making the numerous minor alterations necessary to identify electors. Invercargill.—" The census is certainly the best method yet provided of advising the Registrar of absentees from the district." The electoral census undoubtedly gave Registrars an opportunity such as they never had before for compiling complete and clean rolls, and I have no hesitation in stating that, had their work not been interfered with, we would have had as nearly perfect rolls as it is humanly possible to get. However with a total enrolment for the Dominion of 590,042 electors, there were 97,130 non-voters a'nd it is highly probable that a substantial number of these were restored names due to the' Amendment Act of 1911. In Wellington North and Wellington Central for instance there were 2 754 and 2,753 non-voters respectively, which is a strong indication of the overloaded condition of'these rolls, especially when we consider that in Wellington Central where there was a second ballot, the non-voters referred to did not show up at either ballot. As the contests in these electorates occasioned considerable interest on the part of the electors it can only be concluded that the large percentage of non-voters was almost entirely due to overloaded rolls. In Auckland Central there were only twenty short of 3,000 non-voters; and even m Parnell, where the contest was exceedingly keen, and a second ballot was held, the number of non-voters was 1,415.