THE LIQUOR BATTLE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 424, 5 February 1909, Page 3

THE LIQUOR BATTLE.

OHINEMURI LOCAL OPTION i POLL.

MR SKERRETT'S ADDRESS. • • (BY TEDEGBAFE—rRESB iSSOCIATION.): ".i:-■■■•..>.•..: . Walhl, February 4. .. When tho"Court .in connection - the Qhiriemuri. licensing/case, .resumed'/.this inbrn--ing;;Mr.'-Skerrettj-.counsel-for petitioners, .ad-. •dressed tho Court/' in' reply to t Mr. Adams. •He' commenced ■ b'y saying: that,he; agreed that tlie.'result"of the' inquiry might prove of'serious;. consequence'.' . According' tb the;-case 'for. respondents there .•were'/'tHe 'sehti'mental arid i hidral^/interests the. :party -afc; . stake; '-against' the/:inhibition -.of' many'-.places of": business ■;ih - which: great;-sum's, iwere 1 : invested", ; bufilthe.'.'ca'se for tho potitiohers- was iheirj' desire':, to; hive" the *. matter ''Sgaih "■;/ re-: •ferred to tho • people. • Tho ■ No-License . peo-ple-wanted- to-uphold the poll, -which was t 'aamjbt^j7in%gdtoi i vital principle - involved , was /the 1 complete ■;4bsentie;/'6f everything 7 - that-; '■•feuard^di-'-ffio; sdorccyof- the^votor.-''Counsel' weritvSn- 1 to ;a{fim' "that;; in" 'short,/the.!' cp&Moji;it?-iBS!Ke' ,was;::-Iff:.there/.'to' - be./io 'limit" to'the-.-iiregu-, ~f cbis.--Q6urtif-lie;; a ßl£ed,y:iaaei, € ily'; .with'' fimctiojis.'/'affeotirig. erth^r./^he,-Btrm^vO^. < or-;-add!ng--.of- ; .voters? safeguard-the secrecy of the .ballot, and- he wburd i show',that;'they -had; in', this; instance; been'.- flagranti}' and' substantially" 'violated. garding-the ■ admission ; of Tonly-six< voters;'into .the^.bopthi'-/he';ypoirite'd;/.'out;'t^ . w/is-itos provide.. an . atmosphere untainted < by •He- also reviewed ; Section' 116 of l the. Act regarding, tho. construction ;of -booths..; If his • slfould'-havo .'bden -adhiitted^'.-to": the ■■ booth-' at. 'length'.; • tbejirespebtiVe.:-,responsibility' -. of, eachVdepiityretswmnt; officer, and to the motive of the Act;^;yhisfc.: showedi that; qachfereturning; of-Hcor.-;was -rtsponsiblei for his respective ■ riumi|er„..o£v,ballotipapers; iand. should be-in- ,r a' position' to.- check . his :uscd ( and unused pap-''er?ilwljji!Hfii|i-tliev ■ ®i:*o^;9o|p^rspns.'jhad^^ /ijn'gjipf.t-he^< qiiistibn; , : 'allfe • • to / provide'' reasonable and; adequate-'precautions for. secret voting:; ' He : fbrz-thef rofiitliti f ballots i f'be'en:.'Wfiag^ violated during : ; the .time wheii ■ the'.'. greater, . number,; of,'votes- were' ;b'cirig ■.cast.'N/fe : ,;rel,x-,"ph';;th'e.'' doctrinethat ,''an> election ;,: tb ; .bo! wal^ : .;\vpiUd- have- biit-reaUy/a.n'd-' ."-bfi.'-tBo iAc.Kylf-there,'was rno'Vyahd-election," he ;• mitted.-,there ,aiid ; itbe tque^tiqii-bf/theVhu'inber'jbf/Axtes.^Thir^^ menb had.not been' met .by. Mr. Adams; The Akiroa case was not a case where it was \suggested 'tho. election. had .not':,becn- 'c'on;ducted, 'accordingvto': the; thiit- a ; nnmber.ipf'; persons, had:; bceni'/preven'ted-Jfi'bni' , rccording, l j;,;votes'; ■ ;tbus 1 ''alFccting'. the - reS'ft pf °rring /'• t-o • his .. : friend's re--5 --Been ;'U|iiSet^ ';;!}®^9. u ?s ;••■;?enture;' :tb: say'that-never I ; ;/h^^^h/-di^l regard T>cen shown for the provisions of the iAot ; ..; : %Eaoh;case',yrhe; contendedi-jhad'-tb 'stahd r on.;its:own mente. :-'.Coining"; to the facts.of !i??','F e6^' Cc a s ®>' : be /s;ub'niitted'',lhat"''thSV ; re-" officer.-had grossly .failed -to" malceadequato provision foi vbting The watch™rd.of, tho day was, ."Let 'em. all come;'! ; Whp,':;he-asked,,;'was :;in 'the:.bcst;pbsition;-:to ; -notice" (.the - cpnduqt -of the piill?. The -voter who came m a hurry to vote was not lii the 'proper, pO;ution/'taobs'ervfi,;'but',offlcials': who' to.iiibte/events ,in.-.tho.best" posifcipn;t-o; say. Allrthe witnessMi —'Petitioners-: went/\to S; Mrr<iborate ithe-' as tothe.numbers ;a'dmitted;','ep'm--'?fi^Ws:-;-: : 9P^th;o.r^evidence'-f6r'Vthe'' v re6poil-': - opntendedv-that''.-the''.evidence-i : corrdbdrated:--that: of. 1 '-the petitioners as to tho numbois admitted ■yther^.pfficials,,;witnesses .for -respondents,' were also quoted 'n r corroboration "Could one wish," commented counsel, "a more emphatic corroboration of tho petitioners' evi.dencb/,in this respect?" Still, if such - cor-', .roboration, ; had not -been .forthcoming, would be prepared to rely upon the fact that mew ; , compartments- had; to be 'erected,--and' people being sent over to tho east end booth, . I WKdes..;'general;.-M^ xtt? : I : etur "!"g officer had to give? out papers-: What could naturally be expected m tho /case of ja-bopth'/designed'fbr":t'ho ; admission''of six.-Ayhen/.up to : 90 voters admitted' ; K" C ! 1 ; n^ ID 5?;:set ; : up'Jtfie:.pf»portuiiifcy- ; :for the. .expression of views,. especially in connection with those strongly in favour of NoLiconso Was it not to be expected thai under■:suchconditions- voters would"com-' paro their papers? and they had evidence to that effect.. Counsel, then quoted evidence i to. show that proper secrccy could not bo observedi also ■ m connection - with/ the corroborated fact .that voters jwerovw oeitaili '00--' ,ca;sib'ns-'/qverlooked''';whilst:' ; 'their votes ;•. also 1 as- regarded; genbral "disorder, pri* valent' f . in the, booth. ...Evidence . was also ,quotedito -fihow--that remarks iri ! ' connection :.with the' striking . out of'tlio-top ;'state"d • that,'the admissionsmade by the witnesses for the respondents imly ' corroborated -' the ;evidence. for > tho pev titiohers, submiii/'that': *the v ovidence.-of Constable Driscoll concluded the Matterand - referred/'to. what ; termed' the,.unjustifiable, comments.by Mr/Adains'"'' -action, .he.considered; -was the only action an honest man could adopt in the face of his refusal to give evidence in the ' P.'ace,. and .in, the faco of tho, questions' asKed'/hini . during-, his;. -v first- '' examinatioii* that the. coiistable' had shown .great gmrig/ .the evidence hc.vhad..,, It was. a.so a 'fact, that- ascertain'section of the communitv alwajs credited wrjJng -. and .improper, those;" ■ wKo"' i7 l^.®^!3^f»3Kerp^tt-rbeiioltfdSd-s-THtS"ia-f «i««it! /Kro^twn,' r;cbntendiug, i-the-ballOt' .'had.>.Beeri". ; -violated '.beybn'd'-'all/pos--siblo doubt. The Court reserved their decision till Juarch 1.