The small wire attached at the battery cable is the voltage source for the ammeter- - - -it supplies voltage to the ignition switch, headlights, and other circuits. The small terminal on the side of the 12V starter switch is connected downstream of the ballast resistor to supply full battery voltage to the coil during cranking. That wire was not used on 6V ignition systems, since there was no ballast resistor on a 6V coil.
Jerry