THE MAORI COUNCIL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10542, 26 January 1912, Page 5

THE MAORI COUNCIL

AND THE LIQUOR QUESTION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) GJSBORN-E, Last Night. A netilion has been filed by fifty odd Maori electors, in the Horou Maori Council District at Port Awanui Conrthou Be, regarding the validity of the recent- licensing poll, when the voting was in favour of .110 liquor beim<r supplied to natives. The principal grounds' on which the petitioners base their objections to the poll are that the polling booth at Hicks B»y waS hever opened on the day of the poll, iprnVthat a large number of electors were in consequence debarred from exercising their votes, also that the polling booth at Muaraenui was closed at 3 p.m., thus shut-, ting out a number of Voters. There n.re alf-o one or two 'legal questions. There is an objection raised that the hiajority of electors who were qualifier" vote did ret carry the fai'oposol that liquor should not be supVlled to Niatives in the Horou Maori Cbuncil Distinct, and that a recommendation bv the Maori Council for the Government t<> Wn the district ■was not a valid recommendation. 'Jin's recommendation is the ground work of the election, and section 46 of the Licensing Amendment Act of 1910 provides ' 'thai the Governor may, on the recommendation of the Wor-i_C3ouncil of anv..district under the Maori Cbuncils Act of 1900, proclaim such district as a district in which the provision of section 46 of the Licensing Amendment Act of 191.0 shall apply."