LICENSING POLL

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 812, 29 January 1903, Page 3

LICENSING POLL

By, telegraph—Press Association— DUNEDIN, last night. The hearing of the Bruce Licensing petition concluded to-day. Mr Woodhouse, in opening for the opponents of the petition, contended that the evidence for the petition did not show that the poll had not been open as required by law, and submitted that secrecy of voting, while esseutial in electoral voting, was not, so in the licensing poll ; that a simultaneous delivery of the ballot papers was a physical impossibility as long as they were under the control of separate officials ; and that then if the alleged irregularities were proved they were so slight that they could not be construed as tending to defeat the fairness of the election. Mr Adams addressed the Court on pivelically the same lines as in the Mataura petition. M: Chapman, in replying for the petitioners, contended that the evidence showed clearly that the poll was not open within the hours prescribed by the law. If His Worship accepted the evidence, he had no option but to declare the election void. As to secrecy of voting, it was well known that there were powerful interests at work, endeavoring to give effect to one or other of the proposals, and people were entitled to be guarded against these influences by being afforded the opportunity of recording their votes secretly. The law clearly rccc gnised this, and insufficient provision for secrecy was a grave irregularity Decision was reserved,