INVERCARGILL LICENSING POLL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7947, 24 January 1906, Page 5

INVERCARGILL LICENSING POLL.

THE PETITION TO UPSET IT. INVEROARGILL, Jan. 23. At the enquiry into the Invercargill local option poll to-day, the sitting was occupied almost entirely with the opening address by Mr Hoskmg, leading oounpel for the petitioners, against the validity of th 4 poll. Ihe principal point raised by him was that certain votes allowed, in the re-oount were informal, as far as they related to any particular proposal, but that, being legally votes, recorded by voters, they should be oounted into the total number of votes recorded. He also raised the point that absent voters, except seamen, were not entitled to reoord their votes on the licensing issue. Counsel relied mainly on the decision of Dr McArthur, S.M., in the Newtown case. Some evidence was taken. A scrutineer stated that I the Deputy Returning Officer re'jsed him voting papers. Some peculiar manipulation of papers disclosed that one voter had turned the paper over and marked bis erasures over lines on the other side. Another wrote "For Colony" in addition to an erasure. One deaf man was refused voting papers, though on the roll, and able to read written questions if put to him.