The Secretary to the Department of Home Affairs has forwarded the following memorandum from the Chief Electoral Officer for advice:

Inquiry has been made as to the enrolment of men employed on British and Australian warships.

It is understood that the men employed on British warships in Australian waters, and who are in the pay of the Imperial Government, are not qualified for enrolment.

There appears to be no doubt that the men employed on the Commonwealth warships are entitled to enrolment if they comply with the requirements of the Franchise Act and the Electoral Act.

A question arises as to where the men whose place of living is on board an Australian warship, and who have no homes ashore, are entitled to enrol; and I shall be glad if the Minister will approve of the advice of the Attorney-General's Department being sought as to whether they may legally enrol for the Division within which the headquarters of the ship are located.

The place of abode of men employed on an Australian warship is the warship itself, if the men have no homes on shore.

In my opinion, for the purposes of the Electoral Act, the men living on an Aus-tralian warship may be regarded as living at the place where the headquarters of the ship are located, and the men are entitled to enrol for the Division within which the headquarters are located.

[Vol. 11, p. 28]