The Licensing Election in Wellington.

Manawatu Herald, 31 March 1894, Page 2

The Licensing Election in Wellington.

_, * _ A meeting of electors was held in the Rechabite Hall on Wednesday night, for the purpose of yen tila ting grievances in connection with the recent licensing election tor the city. There was a good attendance. Tm following resolutions were passed :^-r " That this meeting is of opinion that the state of the electoral laws and their administration, as revealed at the recent licensing polls in Wellington and in many other parts of the Colony, constitutes a public scandal, and requires the immediate attention of the Government, and it calls upon the members for the city and suburbs of Wellington to represent the matter to the proper authorities without delay." 11 That the gross irregularities tolerated in various polling booths at the recent licensing elections in the City of Wellington, and, the attempt in many cases to keep back the more important of the two ballot papers from electors, call for the immediate attention of the Returning Officer and the Government." During the discussion it was stated that there was excellent evidence of scrutineers or polling clerks instructing voters, after they got into, the booth, how they were to vote, of people being allowed to speak to them after they had retired into the boxes, and of cases even where people had handed publicans' cards •• vote thus " to voters in the booths. That a gentleman was soen going near the polling booths and telling people only to put the blue paper in the ballot box, and not the white paper. Mr Thompson said that when he went to vote, he was told he was not on the roll. On search being made, i however, it was found there were i five leaves of the roll in the booth missing, and the Deputy Returning^— Officer allowed him to vote. , Mr Wright said that cases came befove him of people complaining that their names were struck off the

roll. O,i ;r:f,;-M;- !:n hh ow;- ml! \i ; fomvl tlvy r,vvi: .^, ftll.'l rU'.-V tll'lfc j focjino; \y hi'od o'V i'-ry v/.-.ro rupp'.ied j wiih vol.-r..-/ piipe"). j Mr ttoshor said h-i ;uiv -a mon giving a number of tickets for W.av > to women of ilifamo. Another elector said ho had booc offcod a ticket for boor outside the DrillshecL Mr Hf.arn said that, ha saw '28/ beer tickets, given away in 7 minutes" j Mr J. Jones said -ho also had "boon | told he could get beer if ha was a friend of so and so's.— s£. Times.