LOCAL OPTION POLL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 418, 29 January 1909, Page 5

LOCAL OPTION POLL.

■'■':'■'..: V, .' '■; 9— ———1 ; . ; ,;■ ■;,:- 1/; THE ipHiNEMURI PETITION* , ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES. THmTY-FOtp Witnesses examined. ,V;'- ,; TfltEOf-iiPir—PRESS, \ :/.' " ' 0-C^'.:-'' ; '■; : '•"; Waltil,; January; 28/"/ The' inquiry intb : tho petition lodged against tho:,yalidity of the ;Ohinomuri.licensing poll by eighty'eleotors has occiipiedtho attention of a' special. Court/' consisting of Magistrates Burgess, Colonel Koborts, and. Cutton* since Monday last, and is still proceeding.-.,'■' Mr. Skerrett, K.Q.). and Mr.. Cotter, with three local- soUeitors, represent , .the petitioners. .'Messrs. Adiims.(Dunedin) 'and. Miller represent respondents.' The. .petition.consisted of thirty alleging, irregularities. -~ ' ■.■;,. ; .'Mr. affi.rnred that the Qhinomuri-. poll hod not: been conducted _acir .cording toy law had ; ; the officer disoharged',-hia,. duties.; according to. stetutory:;instructions.::-.Mr.-; Skeii'ett then ;rGvie\vcd.,:thei'maiuier-in-whieh the poll had been.','■ ponducted .in the: ..central-' booth, sub-, mitting jthat the, same Had" not been catried put.according,':to thoprbvisionsiset;forth : in the Electorol.'Acf,. Fromvthp'.rery first,;, he: asserted,; the ;roturning methods. !ost '■ all.'vcphtrol--of.,the : 'voters,v:and,.that no ohißck';was';mftihtained^on--liem.V:This , :was-.a.-vital pomt.; Also, that .there-,was..no protec-: tioniagaitisVthe undue influence of the vot-; :ors ,when: in the'vory act of oaeting-their' .votes..; .The manner in which the, poll clerks' were ."employed/ at the entrance was also a gross: violation : of.;tno. law/, Hβ would'show, that: chaos •.'reigned;-''•> After ,ll;30'; a' casel; of ..'.'Let;'.;,'em'all!;ppme,":-and in-they all came. .All contrpl'was consequently ldst. : He cottside'red;that; there, waa.;really no ballot. The .voters': fought -their -way to voting com-. .partments;', back;,te, the-boxes, and:then out; of the booth,;:'!Force'of example was o.powerr fill 'one, 'and; Jyoters: in comparing .'and , 'show-! .iriß'tlioir. papers; : .had. a.istrong tonden'cy: to infjuence, : ,votes.j';Vln fapt,; all. soorecy ; had parted. J ln'regard toHhe; procedure'adopted' after the; pollj three parcels of ballot papers had been Unlawfully 'opened;: the keys of the main bodth •had: been lost, and ultimately ro'oovered lander■-the: horso trough..opposite-'the v,s : ..;-.■;'■.:■"/. • :■' MesSrs.'.Ejvht ;and Regan, deputy returning Robertshaw, a'ssistarit. mcrk, •-■ gave . cprrpbprativo evidence, alleging . irregiilarities ; .throughout the poll.- ..; ■ .-' . ' v "In >ll ) .:;.'thirty,-four -witnesses .were ■> exam-.-;ine'd;;v;--:< i^<'y. ., : ' ; - ; -' : '' At tho conclusion of tlie taking of tho petitioners' evidence to-day, Mr. Adams submitted that the petition j ehould bo dismissed on the grounds that no' specific charge had been proved calculated to materially affect the result of tho poll, and he would thorefore apply to have the petition dismissed, Mr. Skerrett, in reply, l quoted many judgments and authorities iin support of his contention that tho vital principle of ballot was secrecy, and this, he urged, had been violated by the manner in, which tho recont'poll had been conducted, The Court deforrod its decision in eonnection with, Mr. Adams's application till tomorrow; morning. .