UPPER HUTT POLL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 924, 17 September 1910, Page 5

UPPER HUTT POLL.

;rr '"HICH-HANDED. PROCEDURE."

'. ■■ A. wcß-attended j and representative meeting; of Upper Hutt ratepayers was idd - in Benzio's Hotel,' Trehtham, on Thursday evening, Mr. J. Wright pro- : ■ eiding;- Great exception was taken to' what: was characterised as the highjhanded procedure of the Commission- ; jbts and returning officer. (Mr. A. J. 31' Curdy) in denying Wellington ra'te- ■ payers a polling booth in the ; oity, The ' .ratepayers present decided, however, • rio'moot such tactics with calm. indiffer.ence, They will endeavour to oust the iioprosantativos responsible : for - v their adoption. and to secure the return, of ■-.i others pledged to reform and a better administration, of affairs generally. A V;V;'' committee, was sot Tip .to support.. a ;.'. -"ticket" of seven candidates who will contest the forthcoming election. The ... nominees are Messrs. Keys, Wilkie, ■ Webb, Gibbons, Davis, Brown,'. ■ and ■ Kirker. Of these, Messrs. Keys ■' and . : , -\ Wilkie. are. members of the .present' board. ' ' Legal Opinions. , - Mr." A. J., M'Curdy, returning officer ; • and. clerk, to the ..Upper . Hutt.-'■ Town : Board, forwards a. legal • opinion supplied by the . Municipal"' Asso.v. ciation .in.-r6ply to his ' query .; as to : the legality of the proposal '.to - open a polling booth in./the.city. onVthe.occasion ; of the. forthcoming election of membersof his board. Tho opinion, which ;is - signed by Mr. T. F. , Martin, counsel ; - 'io the' . Municipal ■' Assov ciation, supports.: the board, in • its" re-; v fusal to have a polling-booth outside . the town district. At tho instance of Mr. J'.-Brown,'a ; . ratepayer of TJpper. Hutt, Messrs. Bell, - , Gully, -Belli and • Myers havesupplied ; an interpretation. of the section of the • - Local: Elections and Polls 'Act, 1908, ; governing. . the location' "of polling ' booths. '.■The opinion of this. firm' of - solicitors runs directly counter to that , of-Mr. Martin," stated above.: They'de- ., clare-that .it ;is not illegal for,"a booth to bo established* in . Wellington for. ■ Upper Hutt .Ratepayers, and further , state,that'if', there; is .any irregularity in, the amending of; a public notice of the places of ' polling boothsj such irregularity, will not be a ground for. upsetting the election, unless it can bo. 'shown to have been made.so lato'as not to have come, to the nptie'e of the elec- . tors interested.' : '-