PONSONBY SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 108, 9 May 1896, Page 2

PONSONBY SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

At tho firsb ordinary meeting of bhe newlyelected Ponsonby School Committee, held yesterday evening, the petition against the recent election of the Committee was received from the Board of Education for their consideration and report. The members present were Messrs J. Patterson (Chairman), J. Bell (Secretary), VV, J. Rees, S. Martin, A. llunday, J. Shaw, W. J. Ralph, C. J. Parr, and Maxwell. The petition submitted that the election was nob conducted in accordance with the Acb on the following grounds : —Thab the Chairman of the meeting did nob use ordinary care in distributing the voting papers; that voting papera were given to everyone in the room, whether he wa» qualified or nob ; thab a considerable number of unqualified persons received voting papers and voted ; that more flban one paper was received by the same person, and, in consequence, some persons exercised' more , than one vote; that twelve voting papers were nob included in the result of the ballot because the name of Mr Turner, who was not a candidate, waa entered on bhe list in error, the con«equeuce being thab other candidates were deprived of certain votes. Tho petitioners were abrongly of opinion that in consequence of the9e irregularities the result of the election was materially affected. The petition was accompanied by a number of certi6ed statements. J. W. Swales stated that he sat between two young men aboub twenty years of age, who received voting papers and voted, after acknowledging bo each other that they were nob qualified to vote. John Swales wrote that a resident of Victoria-street West admitted to him bhab he exorcised a voting paper at the mooting. A. B. Manning, of Sb. Mary's Road, stated that a .voter assured him he had voted three timee. John Clarke, of Melbourne, who is on a visib, stabed that he attended the election, wishing to learn how elections were conducted over here, and thab he received a voting paper and voted, though he learned subsequently thab he'had no righttovote. A Wellington resident also admitted bo haviog voted. Clara E, Arch stated that she1 was sitting beside a boy and two girls belonging to one family who each had voting papere which they filled in and pub into the ballob box. Mr W. Leys, Chairman of the late Committee, also wrote regarding the eloction, pointing oub thab papers.were given to all in the room, bhab aome voted who were unqualified, and that he saw Beveral place more than one paper in the ballob box. J. Turner, J. Clark and J. R. Hanna, three of the six scrutineers, stated bhab 13 papers contained the names ot persona nob candidates, and were consequently created aa informal, and thab the namea of the other candidates on these pagers were nob counted in the scrutiny.

The Chairman said ib was a remarkable thin? thab nearly the whole of the objectors were defeated candidates.

Mr Ralph said ib waa impossible without a roll for the Chairman to see thab thoße who received papers were householders.

Mr Parr thought the evidence in support of the petition was exceedingly flimsy. There was no doubt it waa aufficienb to show that some irregularities did occur, bub they were only such irregularitiea as would occur while the present Act existed. They were hob, however, sufficient to render the election invalid. He would suggeßC that the Board be informed thab ib wae a good and valid election, and thab if ib were held to-morrow the result would probably bo the same.

Mi- Shaw moved, " That in the opinion of this Committee the election was carried out in accordance with the Acb." He thought ib was for the Board to find out whether bhe election was valid or not.

Mr-Martin seconded. He thought the only objection worth considering was that about the scrutineers, and the Acb said that their decision on formal and informal papers waa final.

Mr Reea considered that the election had not been ■in accordance with the Acb entirely. The names on the blackboard were nob all distinguishable at one end of the room,' and some people did nob see that Mr Turner's name was taken off, The scrutineers should have merely crossed oub Mr Turner's name. There was something in the objection tbab some persons exercised more than one vote because he himself saw one person with five papers, being mado to return four. He thoughb the Committee should admib that one or two things had nob been righb and proper. He moved 11 Thab this Commibtee is of opinion thab sufficient evidence haa been bondered to warrant au inquiry by the Board of Education."

Thi9 amendment waa not seconded

The Chairman said the lasb time they made an inquiry into a petition of this kind, the .election was upset). He thought tho Board should make tho inquiry, and nob the Committee. Ib was nob for the Committee to admib thab a wrong had been done.

Mr Ralph considered there would always be irregularities for wanb of a roll. He did nob think the scrutineers had tha power to strike oub Mr Turner's name. The paper was formal or informal. Mr Parr suggested that tho motion should read, "That in tha opinion of thia Committee tha election was carried oub in substantial compliance with the Acb."

Mr Shaw refusing to accept the suggestion, aa he thought the election was carried oub strictly in accordance with the Acfc, Mr Parr'p suggestion was pufcae an'amendment, bub waa loßt. Mr Shaw's. motion was then pub, and carried by five to two.