INQUIRY PROPOSED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 5, 1 October 1943, Page 4

INQUIRY PROPOSED

Conduct Of General Election SERVICEMEN’S VOTES (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, September 30. A suggestion that a committee of inquiry, consisting of representatives of the main interests contesting the election, should be set up to inquire into various factors in the conduct of the general election has been made by tlie Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland, in a letter to Hie Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser. Mr. Holland raises several questions concerning voting by servicemen, and states: “During the past two days I have received! many communications from all parts of New Zealand regarding the result of the election, and many'of these inquiries about votes cast by servicemen. There has been- considerable confusion due to the results being announced, only to be materially altered by subsequent announcements of servicemen’s votes. “Most people understood on Saturday night that servicemen’s votes means, in the absence of any statement to the contrary, that they were overseas servicemen, Now I understand that the overseas servicemen’s votes have still to come in. In one instance a returning officer announced certain results and he has since stated that he was not advised of the s-ervicemen’s votes till just before midnight. . “I have received cabled advice that no policy material was received by certain Middle East sericemen up to a few days before the election. . “Manv inquiries have been received whether’proper precautions were taken to ensure strict secrecy in the voting by servicemen and whether facilities were ottered to permit the presence of scrutineers and also whether adequate precautions were taken to ensure that only servicemen entitled to vote did vote, in one case a candidate actually received st> more votes from servicemen out of a total of 1600 servicemen’s votes cast, than he received out of a total of 1-.000 civilian votes recorded. . “I make no charges whatever, but New Zealand is alive with rumours and expressions of doubt, and I feel sure you will agree that it is highly undesirable that any widespread feeling, of uouot should be permitted to remain unsatisfied I feel sure that these doubts should be removed and therefore suggest that a committee of inquiry, consisting of representatives of the mam interests contesting the election be immediately appointed to look carefully into these matters to remove from the minds of th e public any cause for doubt concerning the conduct of the poll.