§ 25. Mr. ROWLANDSasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that the Conservative 555 and Unionist Association of North Islington has issued a circular to householders saying that it is essential that men and women should have the assistance of that association in applying for the vote; and whether he will make it clear that this is not in accordance with fact?
§ 26. Mr. GILBERTasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that Unionist associations in different constituencies in London are |handing from door to door forms of registration inquiries in colourable imitation of the official forms; and, in view of the; difficulty of householders to fill up the forms and the repeated statement during the passage of the Representation of the People Act that it would obviate the intervention of political parties in forming the register, whether he proposes to take any action with regard to the circulation of these party forms?
§ The PRESIDENT or the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Hayes Fisher)My attention has been drawn to the circular referred to by the hon. Member for the Dartford Division and also to the form which I understand was intended to accompany it. It is not, of course, essential that a person entitled to be registered should have the assistance of any party organisation, but I hope that all party organisations will assist the registration officers to prepare as complete a register as possible of all those entitled to the franchise. I think, however, the circulation by political associations of forms similar to the form prescribed by the Order in Council is to be deprecated as confusing the electors.
§ Mr. BILLINGIs not this a clear ease of a political ramp, and in these circumstances does the Government propose to take any action against these people, who arc misleading the electorate into believing that the only way to get their vote is to obtain it through the political machine?
§ Mr. FISHERThe hon. Member is a Loiter judge of all political and other ramps than I am.
§ Mr. ROWLANDSWill the right hon. Gentleman take some action to see that words to this effect should not be circulated by any political or other agency—this was delivered to my own house:
persons would be assisted by the association in every possible way in order to ensure their names appearing on the register.
§ Mr. BILLINGPolitical trickery!
§ Mr. ROWLANDSBecause it appears to the person who gets this, who is not well acquainted with the matter, that this is an official document, and it confuses him when the official document does come along.
§ Mr. BILLINGHighly dishonourable!
§ Mr. HOGGEIs it not true that usually Liberals apply through Conservative Associations, and Vice Versâ. to ensure getting on the register?
§ Mr. GILBERTWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether he has power under the Representation of the People Act to prevent other people issuing a similar form to the statutory registration form?
§ Mr. FISHERA study of the Representation of the People Act will tell me that I have no such power.
§ Mr. BILLINGThe last dying effort of a dead party…
Mr. CHANCELLORWill the right hon. Gentleman make representations to the headquarters of the Unionist Association on what he has said here this afternoon?
§ Mr. FISHERThe headquarters of the Unionist Association are intelligent enough to read my answer.
§ Mr. BILLINGI doubt it…
§ Mr. SPEAKERI must ask the hon. Member for East Hears (Mr. Billing) to behave himself.
§ 27. Mr. ADAMSONasked the President of the Local Government Board whether, in order to enable them to subsist on a reduced income, many wives of soldiers have temporarily left their homes and gone to live with relatives; that in the present compilation of the register it is being held that neither the soldier nor his wife are eligible to be placed on the local government register; and whether he can take any steps to" prevent this disfranchisement of soldiers and their wives?
§ Mr. FISHERIf, in casse of the kind referred to by the hon. Member, an occupier has given up the occupation of the premises, neither he nor his wife would be entitled to be placed on the local government register. As regards the last part of the question, I may point out that the special provisions inserted in the Representation of the People Act for naval or military voters are expressly 557 limited to the right of a person to be registered as a Parliamentary elector. I am not empowered to take any steps in the matter.