THE LAND BALLOT AND MR. McCARDLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 288, 2 December 1905, Page 5

THE LAND BALLOT AND MR. McCARDLE.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY MR MUELLER. ————— I (By Telegraph. Own Correspondent.) j WELLINGTON, this day. I A rumour having been circulated that j the ballot for the Kawhia section was j not properly conducted, the following correspondence has taken place between the Premier and the then Commissioner of Crown Lands, Mr. Gerhard Mueller: "To G. F. Mueller, late Commissioner of Lands, Auckland.—lt has been stated, and is being industriously circulated, that the Kawhia lands ballot was unfairly conducted. I am firmly convinced that this ia uutrue, but as it reflects on your honour, wire mc particulars to-day so that I may in the interests of pure administration refute the statement and confound the slanderers. — (Signed) R. J. Seddon."

Mr Mueller has replied as folloVvs:—

'•The Right Hon. Premier,—On application at the Lands Office this morning I find that the case is connected with the McCardle family, and a, more trumpery accusation could not be dished up. That family was successful in drawing five sections, for two of which they were the sole applicants, for the third section there were five applicants, three of which were McCardle's, and one of them was successful. For the fourth and fifth sections there were sixteen applicants each, and the successful one was a McCardle. Of the above sections two arc adjoining each other, and the rest six and seven miles apart. The ballot box was worked and the ballot drawn by an officer and handed to mc. I read out the number, then handed the ballot to Mr McCardle, who had been unanimously appointed by all the applicants to check tlie readings. The whole procedure was such as to make any tampering with the ballots an ob solute impossibilty.—Signed, Gerhard Mueller. late Commissioner Crown Lands."'