H.—l4

16

APPENDIX B.

PREPARATION. OF EOLLS. System Adopted.—The Compilation and other Details. Sib, — Auckland, 27th March, 1903. In accordance with your instructions I beg to submit the following report in connection with the preparation of the electoral rolls for the districts of City of Auckland, Parnell, Eden, and Grey Lynn, the last one being included for Manukau, which is now managed by my colleague at Papakura. 1. I kept an official roll of my electorates, which, until the Boundary Commissioners' last report, comprised City of Auckland, Parnell, Eden, and Manukau. Alterations required, such as transfers to other districts, deaths, change of address, &c, were marked on these several rolls. Bound copies were always on the counter and available for reference and information. This system was continued between the printing of one set and the coming into operation of another. The attachments will, I trust, be of further assistance in making matters clear. 2. When the time arrived for the compilation of a new roll, a copy of the rolls was cut up and each page pasted on a sheet, and any alterations, &c, were transferred to these pages. 3. A house-to-house visit was made in the middle of last year by persons appointed by the Registrar under instructions for the purpose of enrolling any person who was not on the roll and wished to be, making alterations in addresses, reporting absentees or deaths, and transferring the entries to the sheets. The transfers, if relating to any of my electorates, were expunged from the rolls thus : A person leaving Parnell and coming to live in the City would be erased from the former roll and the transfer to the City would, with all similar transfers and new claims, be put in pigeon-holes alphabetically arranged for the respective electorates. The papers would remain there for reference until the time arrived for commencing a new roll. If a transfer came from any outside place a copy would be sent to the Registrar of the district from which the voter came and the original put in its proper place. 4. Monthly the Registrar of Deaths sent a list of those over twenty-one years who died. These names were examined, and, if necessary, they were erased. 5. When I had doubts as to the bona fides of applications, the forms were sent to the Inspector of Police, and his reports guided me. 6. In addition to the house-to-house visitation by subordinates, the police were supplied with rolls for them to make inquiries in their several sub-districts as to removals, deaths, &c. When these were returned, any corrections not already made were transferred to the sheets. 7. To make the rolls correct and reliable I got well-known gentlemen to go through them with myself or one of the clerks. For instance, Mr. James Waiters, J. P., who has lived all his life in the Mount Roskill district, and near the border-line of Parnell and Manukau, and since the alteration of boundaries dividing the Grey Lynn from the Eden Electorate, came at my special request and went carefully through the then Eden, Parnell, City of Auckland, and Manukau rolls. The alterations and corrections he made were duly transferred to the sheets. Mr. E. Fitzpatrick, residing at Pakuranga, did similar work in the Parnell, Eden, and Manukau rolls. These remarks apply to all the divisions of the electorates. After exhausting outside help and completing corrections and embodying everything on the sheets, the most reliable assistant then went carefully through every sheet and made any correction's or alterations which from his local knowledge he knew should be made, marking opposite the name on the roll the initial or the name of the electorate in which he believed it should appear. The greatest difficulty here arose on account of the numbers of streets bearing the same name—for instance, there are four Eden streets, three of which are in different districts from those to which they belonged before the alteration of boundaries, three Victoria Avenues, all of which are in different electorates. I give these two instances out of a great many in the same position. 8. The sheets were then handed to me, and I went through every one of them, and when I was satisfied that all that could be done, was attended to I ticked and initialled them, and handed them over to the clerical workers to make slips of all the names unerased and portion them off to their respective electorates. Slips were then made out of all new claims and transfers that were passed for the manuscript roll, and incorporated with the slips from the sheets. Before the issue of the writs all claims in hand were included, and after seeing that they were properly arranged the manuscript was commenced. On the successful tenderer signing the bond he was supplied with copy, and kept going until the completion of his contract. As progress proofs and revises reached my hands they were placed on the counter for inspection, &c, and this applies also to the manuscript of all the rolls, as the printing work was completed and the papers returned. Exhibits.—A, house-to-house visitation ; B, sample of four sheets; C, Gazette, 13ch August, 1902 ; D, form of tender ; E, bond. In conclusion allow me to respectfully urge that both Mr. Walters and Mr. Fitzpatrick be summoned to give evidence. It is also my intention to get other gentlemen to attend and give evidence on my behalf. Yours, &c, The Chairman, Royal Commission, Auckland. John King, Registrar.