LOCAL OPTION POLL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3094, 18 January 1909, Page 3

LOCAL OPTION POLL.

THE HUTT ENQUIRY. ALLEGED LACK OF SECRECY OF THE BALLOT. The enquiry into the Hutt Local Option poll was resumed on Saturday morning before Dr A. M'Arthur, Messrs W. P. James, and W. G' Riddell, Stipendiary Magistrates, at the Oddfellows' Hall, Petone. John Henry Baxter, bank clerk, examined by Mr Ostler, said he was scrutineer for the No-License Party at the Taita booth. There were no inner compartments in the booth (a room in the schoolhouse). Voters had tojvecord their votes on a desk placed in the corner of the room. There were two desks. Scrutineers could see how electors voted. As a matter of fact, he, had seen how a j dozen persons Voted. Altogether 174 votes were cast at the /Taita booth. To the Bench: When he said .he saw how different people had voted he meant that , electors had been careless in folding up their papers. Ellen Smith, married woman, residing in Petone, said she had been living in Petone for nine months, and in New Zealand for five years. She made application to be placed on the roll about three weeks before the election. A canvasser Mr Curtis she thought, called on her. Witness filled in a form, signed it, and handed it back to the canvasser. When witness went to vote at the election she was informed that her name was not on the roll. ' Edward Kibblewhite, builder, Petone, an elector of the Hutt dis- ■ trict,. stated in evidence that he saw one Harley, a. brewer, on the day of the poll near the "Chronicle" orfice. Harley spoke to a man who was ap--1 parently coming to the booth at the i Oddfellows' Hall to vote. Harley .addressed him by name, and said: "I will give you £5 for your vote." The man walked on. To Mr Skerrett: He was a supporter of No-License. He was not prepared to swear that Harley made j the remark seriously. | Mr Atkinson was given permission ;to call two witnesses on Monday, otherwise this concluded petitioners' , case.

' Mr Skerrett pointed out that allegations 1 and 7, inclusive, were j merely formal. Counsel claimed ! that the No-License party would require five votes in order to carry No-License, or, speaking precisely, four and a third. Mi's Allendar ! was not wrongfully excluded from the roll. At .9'o'clock on Saturday night she went to Mr Mothes's office and asked to be transferred from the Auckland roll. She intended to leave for Auckland on the following Monday. Under the circumstances, her own words were, "I am going to Auckland, and I will not bother." In the case of Daisy Elsie Collet the facts did not constitute an "irregularity" under the Act. An irregularity must be "knowingly and wilfully'' done. Subsection of section 63 of the Legislature Act contemplated clerical errors. The ease of Mrs Smith did not require an answer. She evidently signed an application for enrolment, which was not forwarded. In regard to clause 16, it was perfectly clear that the returning officer had a right to leave the booth when he felt inclined. Counsel submitted that there was no evidence whatever to support the allegation in paragraph 17 that the returning officer "habitually spoke to voters." Mrs Burridge declared that Mr Mothes had not spoken to her. Then, in respect of the allegation that different deputies had illegally retained possession of the ballot papers over night, the statute simply required that the parcels should be sent to the returning* officer "with all possible despatch." He submitted that the returning officer and the deputies had acted quite pruperly. The practice.had been adopted at every previous election; it was followed as the best possible manner. It was conceded that the papera arrived /intact. What in the name of common tei.se, then, was there to complain about? Dr M'Arthur : It seems to me that it is much better to retain the papers for the night than to s&t out with them in the dark. Counsel, continuing, said it was ridiculous to suggest that the practice followed "affected the result." Mr Skerrett next dealt with the allegation that the secrecy of the poll had been violated. The object of the Act was to enable the voter to vote with reasonable provision for secrecy. It was impossible in scattered districts to have the sairfc elaborate provisions as in the towns arid cities. At this stage the enquiry wa3 adjourned till 9.45 a.m. on Monday.— "Post."