CHRISTCHURCH ELECTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1742, 6 May 1913, Page 8

CHRISTCHURCH ELECTIONS.

RETURNING OFFICER INTERVIEWED. (By Telegraph— Press Association.) Chrislcliurch, May 5. "As fat as I am concerned, I did not. experience any difficulty with regard to' actual conduct of the election," remarked Mr. G. W. Ifulme, returning officer, in the course of an interview on tho procedure at tile recent election. "f-omo trouble/' lie ?aid, "had been caused through the lack of sufficient accommodation in the different wards, to allow of the erection of iive polling places in. each booth to deal witlx tho five separate issues. That difficulty haying been overcome by substitution of marquees, it only remained a matter of manning these separate polling stations. This revealed a very grave difficulty. There had been employed 195 deputy-re-turning officers and 285 polling clerks and ushers, and engaging of so many constituted the only real difficulty experienced with regard to the conduct of tho elections. It had never been anticipated that so many issues would ever be sul>mitted to the e-llectors at one time. Dealing with them as Mr. Hulmo did by providing each issue a distinct and separate polling booth, and providing that cach voter had only to deal with one voting paper at a time, in a great measure simplified the procedure. There were, he, said, very few cajes indeed where any block • occurred in any o£ the polling booths, as adequate arrangements iiud been made to avoid any congestion. One feature of tho election which was found io be of great advantage was tho fact that when voters presented themselves to vote'at til!' iirst polling place, which was for (lie election of Mayor, tliL'.v were given cards giving them their numter on the roll, with instructions to present themselves at each of the other prilling plarcs. That that arrangement proved effective was shown by tlio fact that Hie Mavoral returns were posted on the mull, board by 9.">5 p.m.