The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1887. A NAPIER SCHOOL ELECTION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2589, 4 May 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1887. A NAPIER SCHOOL ELECTION.

The recent annual election for a school committoo at Napier illustrates the somewhat inconvenient procedure of their meetings as conducted under the present, act, The gathering was convened as usual in the principal school building and tbo first difficulty experienced" was'the impossibility of five hundred persons who attended the i meeting gaining access to a room capable o! closely packing threo hundred. As many householders as possible were however jammed in, and the rest were relegated to (he corridors. It was no wonder under these circumstances that when the meeting warmed to its work, the speeches made became inaudible owing to the jostling, groans, and laughter which arose. After the farce had proceeded for some time the meeting adjourned to the Theatre and subsequently for fear of illegality returned to the schoolhousß to voto. No less than eight scrutineers were engaged to supervise the papers, The utmoßtcare was taken bute these fairly but it was subsequently found that one man had been able to procure, and doubtless use, five voting papers. If was after ono a.m. that the business was concluded, 4794 votes being polled between 20 candidates. The candidate who headed the poll secured 767 votes and the individual who finished it obtained nil, Three years ago we witnessed a similar scene in Mastertoii, and no doubt in other parts of the colony corresponding experiences have attended school elections. Scenes of this character are a public scandal. Owing to the loose way in which the act is framed frauds in voting becomo comparatively easy and the cumulative vote is a groat help to those who desire by foul means as well as fair to secure the return of any particular candidate. One./would think that if any meetings were characterised by: good order and fair play it would be ono whora the parents and guardiauß of cTii}dvcn assemble to select a Commit teo to look after the interests of themselves anut their little onos, but under the presont act the voices of parents and guardians are frequently silenced hy the.louder outcries of larri' kins and outsiders who attend these gatherings for the purpose of kicking up a row and getting a cheap eveuings excitement and amusement.