NORTHERN MAORI ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 227, 4 March 1915, Page 4

NORTHERN MAORI ELECTION.

FURTHER EVIDENCE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Whangarei, Last Night. During the hearing of the- Northern Maori petition, Mr. Prendergast claimed that Tehoro and Earakanui, where, no books were provided, despite that they had been gazettei polling-places, were Native villages. Te Horo was the centre of a populous district, and was regarded as a natural headquarters. People who went to Te Horo to vote were disfranchised. The same occurred at Earakanui and N Pakotai. The nearest place where a booth was open was only accessible by a short route that was almost an impossible track. The round-about road was 30 miles. He submitted that the numbers prevented from voting were* sufficient to affect the result of the election, and the onus of proof to the contrary lay with the respondent. ~-< - The returning officer said thafcJK'B»B- - was so small that he couM nW discover it, amTfinaily he found it necei*. sary to Bend election papers to a deputy*, in care of the postmaster, who, in response to a later enquiry, said that to the best of his knowledge the deputy received them. After the election the postmaster wrote, regretting having led the witness astray. After the lunch adjournment, the Court decided that amendments were inadmissible, as they broke new ground. Evidence showed that Te Horo district included about 200 voters. Seventy turned up on election day, and eould not vote. The majority of the evidence showed that most of the seventy had openly declared their preference for Tau Henare.

The case is expected ;fo end on Thursday.