RECOUNTING THE VOTES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3062, 5 December 1908, Page 5

RECOUNTING THE VOTES.

THE MASTjSRTON LOCAL OPTION POLL. RESULT OF THE PROCEEDINGS. SLIGHT REDUCTION OF NOLICENSE MAJORITY. Mr W. P. James, S.M., and Mr A. H. Holmes, Clerk of the Court at Wellington, and Returning Officer for Wellington North electorate, were busily occupied yesterday until about 4.30 p.m. in recounting the votes cast in the Masterton Loca? Option Poll,- 'Mr W. H. PownaJl, scrutineer for the License party, and Mr Jabez bridges, scrutineer for the No-License party, were alsu present, beir.g sworn first to observe secrecy as to the proceedings. Mr C. A. Pownall acted in the matter as counsel for the License party, and Mr P. L. Hollings as advocate for the No-License party. Neither solicitor was permitted to be present unless the Magistrate desired their assistance on any point, and these was asked on certain matters, though finally a decision was come to by the Magistrate without counsels' presence. The result of the recount was that a number of votes were invalidated which had previously been allowed. The total number of valid votes was reduced by 32, this number including 21 newly-invalidated votes. Eleven votes of infirm or illiterate voters were disallowed by the Magistrate on the ground that they were not signed by the Deputy-Returning Officer. These voting papers bore initials only, and Mr James states that they were not all legible even as initials. The position of the figures under / the recount is„as follows:Original Count. Recount. Valid votes 5423 5391 ' Continuance 2111 2100 Reduction 2522 2504 No-License 3287 3266 Informal 72 101 Majority for NoLicense 33.2 31.4 The Magistrate stated to an Age reporter that he considered the papers had been very carefully counted in the first instance by the Returning Officer, Mr W. Gillespie, and he wished this fact to be mentioned. The alteration of the figures has been caused through the Magistrate's discretionary power in disallowing certain votes. Mr James also paid a compliment to Mr Holmes for his valuable assistance, stating that it was chiefly due to Mr Holmes that so much expedition was shown over the recount.