DUNEDIN NORTH ELECTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 116, 17 December 1908, Page 5

DUNEDIN NORTH ELECTION.

Ballot Papers Missing.

In an interview on Tuesday, Mr H. Widdowson, S.M., intimated that he had been unable to complete the recount of the votes cast in the Dunedin North second ballot, owing to the fact chat a number of the voting papers had not been produced. He therefore left it to the parties themselves to move further in the matter. It is understood that on a re-count Mr Barclay led by 11 votes, but 17 voting papers in favour of Mr Thomson hav° disappeared. The returning officer (Mr D. Larnach) states that these papers were the last to be dealt with in the count. As soon as they were counted he left his inner office (where the count took place) before sealing them up and placing them with the rest of the papers, his reason peing that he wished to immediately despatch to his superior officers official intimation of the result of the election. This, he says, is the only time when an opportunity for the disappearance of the papers could have occurred.

There is a possibility of the opinion of a Supreme Court judge being taken as to whether the magistrate should be compelled to complete the recount of the votes handed to him, and give a de cision thereon, but nothing definite has been decided. The only method of other proceedure is a by-election petition.

Referring to the revived excitement over the election the Star to-night says: "The circumstances are (so far as we are aware) without parallel in the electoral records of the Dominion, and it may be taken for granted that this amazing disclosure will be investigated in the most searching way."