DAIRY CONTROL ACT

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1927, Page 4

DAIRY CONTROL ACT

■ DETAILS OK VOTING UNAVAILABLE. I 1 lie Minister of Agriculture in re|pl.V to Mr Scddon. M.P states “reI yarding your letter in which y„u ask °| ‘ f if possible to get a return sliowj ing how the different districts voted iin thje recent election under the | Dairy Produce Export Control Act. j] regret having to inform you that I Jam not in a position to give you the I .lilonnation Vou seek, as ujmui on-, 'jquiry I learn that the Tieturning '.Officer, under advice, has already do- ‘ dined to furnish such information. I ‘‘As you are aware, the Roturn--1 ing Officer is a statutory official appointed under Section !) (1) of the Dairy Produce Export Control Amendment Act, 1026. and cannot be interfered with in the performance of his statutory duties, { ‘"The Returning Officer is of opinion that his duty is to make a de„ claration of the result of the poll under Section 8 of that Act, and to ; notify the result in the Gazette under .Regulation G (21 of the Dairy Pro , dtice Control Election Regulations | 1020. Though it is not expressly laid down that the voting is secret, the j system of postal voting which the Legislature has set up. the general system under which public elections 1 are held in New Zealand, and the 'absence of provision for giving any further information about an election, 'indicate the intention of the Legislature that the principles of secret ballot should apply. To furnish the information sought would tend to defeat those principles.”