MAUKU ELECTION PETITION

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 355, 26 February 1918, Page 2

MAUKU ELECTION PETITION

TO THE EDirOE Sir,—ln your Friday's issue Mr Henry is somewhat disingenious in his reply to the criticism which the recent election petition has naturally evoked. Mr Henry states that during the Court proceedings the evidence disclosed that in'only one case was a vote recorded for a soldier at the front. Quite true, but Mr Henry's attitude on the soldiers' vote question can only be judged by the list of votes challenged by him when the petition was first put it, and not by the one which he was able to prove. That list included the names of three absent soldiers and one soldier's mother, viz, Messrs A. V. Halliday, William Batty and Schlaepfer, and Mrs C. Batty. Th« fact that the petitioner's case against three of these proved to be based on unjust and unfounded suspicion and was withdrawn does not make it any better for Mr Henry. In the original list of votes challenged four out of the seven names submitted were soldiers' votes. In view of the above facts we may justly assume that Mr Henry's generous suggestion that soldiers should have two votes applies only to those soldiers who are prepared to vote for Mr Joseph Henry.—Yours, etc., J. 8. MONTGOMERY. Mangere, 25/2/18. PUKEKOHE'S EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES [To the Editor 1 Sir,—As a member of the Pukekohe District High School Committee, I was pleased to read the leader on " Pukekohe's Educational Facilities" in your issue of yesterday, and I feel sure that the attention of parents throughout the district will thus be drawn to a matter of vital importance to them in order to protect and safeguard the interests of the rising generation. If I may be permitted, without encroaching too much on your valuable space, I should like to emphasise the fact that without some substantial backing, in the shape of local public opinion the School Committee's efforts to establish a Technical High School at Pukekohe will be thrown away. I would suggeat tiiat our local bodies, i.e., Borough and County Councils, Clumber of Commerce, School Committees and patents generally throughout the dis trict should unite in making a vigorous protest against any antion of cue Board of Education <aa: may postpone the establishing of a Technical High School at Puk a kohq, with equipment and stall sui:able to the needs of the district, and under the j control of a properly constituted Board of Governors Yours, etc , A COMMIITEEMAN. Pukekohe, 23rd F«b., 1918.