Minor Changes Regarding Conduct of Elections Mentioned in Report of Election Committee Shanghai, Feb, 12. EVISION of election rules with minor changes regarding conduct of elections, compilation of the preliminary voting list as.early as possible after December each year, and a strong recommendation to the Shanghai Municipal Council to inform the Consular Body of the necessity of fixing a closing date one month in advance of the first day of the election for the receipt of claims to vote, have been made to the Council by the Special Election Committee. This was disclosed in a report of the Committee released for publication yesterday.
Mr, Yasui submitted four proposals regarding the appointment of A committee with full power to examine the qualifications of all, claimants for votes and 0 accept oF Feject their claims, including stipulations that the committee should consist of six members of different nationality. It, was pointed out that under Land Regulation IX it was the duly of the Secretary of the Council to revise and correct the list of per gona qualified to vole and that under Land Regulation XVII the Couneit may only, delegate its authority to make decisions to a committee pointed out of its own body, and that far as is known the Courell never has delegated such authority to any committee however constituted. All committees are appointed in an advisory capacity and their recom mendations are subject to confirmation by the Council, Considerable discussion resolved around this proposal which was favoured by some members. Some stressed the extremely dangerous precedent which would thus be created and what was in thelt opinion its. sHlegality, but it was} pointed out that the olfact desired by Mr. Yasui could be achieved by an advisory committee since the Council would be most unlikely, without ood cause, to reject a recommend: tion made by such a representative committee as suggested by Mr, Yosul, Finally it, was decided ¢o recommend that the Council appoint a committee consisting of five members different non-Chinese nationality, empowered to pass judgment on claims 10 vote and report its views to the Council, The report went on to, states Minor Changes Necessary "Mie Committee has held six mectngs at which all members' and the Secretary and Commissioner General and the. Depuly Treasurer-Revenue of the Council's start were present. Owing (0 hip departure from shang= fal at the time the conclusions arrived at in this report were under consideration, Mix, tt; P. Allman simmed from Membership of the Com. mittee and Mr. J. W, Carney. was appointed by the Cowell to fill the Vacancy" thus created, We wish to take this opportunity. of expressing our appreciation of the advice and assistance given by Mr, Allman dus~ {ng his period of membership.
Since it was pointed out to us by the Secretary and. Commissioner General thay cerialn of the recom: mendations " already agreed upon must be considered. by the Council immediately if they are to be appiled at the next election, st was decided to. submit this interim report fu the points covered by. the Committee With the intimation that a further report will be submitted at later date, our frst meeting we were supplied with a memorandum by the Secretary and Commissioner General covering a report by the Depuly Treasurer-Revenue in which celain suggestions were. submitted for our consideration, 'The Secretary and Commissioner General's memorandum stated that the present Blection Rules dated March 17, 1098, covering the conduct of elections and counting of votes, were drawn up in accordance Wwith' the" recommendations of the Election Investigation 'Committee of 1986 with one important exception, namely the fixing of a date prior 10 the elections after' which no. claims to" vote would ie Feceived, which point ts covered later in this report, The rules were tested for the first timo at the 1940 election ud, apart from the point referred 10. above, were stated to have proved extreme?
satisfactory. "The poll. was conducted smooihiy and eleientiy "and the machinery for counting votes appeared to work well, Experience at he election haa however shown that, certain minor changes were necessary fand these changes, recommended by the Deputy "Tresturer-Itevenue. and the "Secretary and" Commissioner General, were endorsed by the Com: iiltee for adoption, They are:
That duplicate Voting Passes be valid only at the polling stations at which they ave issued or for which hey are so stamped.
"(b) That such number of embossing machines be provided at each polling station os may be required Instead of one machine at each station, That provision be made for the officials to hand over the ballot boxes to ¢he Scrutincers immediately fon the close of the poll on the firs day of the election instead of waiting until the oMclals" returns are male up as stipulated in the Rules, That provision be made for! the Serutineers (o witness the sealing of the apertures in the ballot boxes At the close of the poll on each day of the election, 2. In his memorandum the Secretary and " Commissioner General pointed ong that the conduct of an election involves two entirely'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.