CHARGES ABANDONED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 203, 20 April 1932, Page 5

CHARGES ABANDONED

(Press. Assn.-

bombshell in court ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPT PRACTICE AT GENERAL ^ ELECTION 41 RANGITIKEI APPEAL

— By Telegraph—

-Copyrlght).

MARTON, Tuesday. A bomb fell on the election court when it resumed this morning, when, with one exception ,the charges of corrupt practice on the part of Alexander ■ Stuart were withdrawn .by counsel for the petitioner, James Thomas Hogan. The only case which remained was a charge that John Fyfe, an "enginedriver at Marton Junction, after being compulsorily retired, was reinstated on Stuart' s representations. Fyfe, in evidence, denied that respondent had done anything more than give him a letter of introduction to the Hon. J. G. Coates. The political leanings of witness were quest'ioned, and he admitted that he had "certain sympathies with the Labour Party." He supported Stuart, however, because he considered him to be a suitable man to represent the district in Parliament. "He turned a political somersault," said counsel, to which the Chief Justice replied: "That is nothing. Plenty of people do that, and they are entitled to. This is a serious charge and we want something more than that." Organisers' Evidence The remainder of the morning was taken up in hearing A. Way and F. Marlow, who, it was alleged, were paid organisers of Stuart, and exercised their votes. Way admitted that he was paid as secretary by the Marton branch of the Reform Party, but when the Coalition was formed the branch went out of existence, and Way became honorary secretary to the Coalition committee, receiving no remuneration. Marlow denied receiving any payment. After some discussion and the re--hearing of certain evidence, jthe charge in respect to the reinstatement of Fyfe in the railways was abandoned.

The case for Mr. Stuart opened with the hearing of a further batch of witnesses who voted for the Rangitikei member, but who had resided out of the electorate for more than the prescribed time. Thirteen votes were involved in addition to those in the evidence called by Mr. Hogan yes-_ terday. The deputy returning officer at the Murimotu booth gave evidence that the booth closed at 6 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. by mistake. He remained at the booth, however, until 6.55- p.m. and stayed at the gate a few minutes. There was nobody in sight, and only one woman was refused an opportunity to vote after 6 p.m. The hearing of the evidence will probably he concluded to-morrow. A scrutiny of the votes will probably take place in Wellington as judgment will probably be delivered there.