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"HOW TO VOTE."

FORBIDDEN CARDS AT AN ELECTION. EIGHT PE2_SONS OH!AB)GKD. , CE WITH VOTERS. The distribution of small cards alleged to have been (printed in imitation of licensing ballot papers, showing the bottom line struck out, used outside the tooths at the licensing elections in April last, resulted in a number of people being charged before Mr. F. K. Hunt, SJM., at the Magistrate's Court this morning. The charges were brought under three, separate headings, the first being laid under section 157, sub-section A, of the Legislature Act, 1908, which provides against interference with voters on the way to the polls by advising them how to act. The second charge was that of having delivered a paper to a voter purporting to be an i imitation of a ballot paper, which was 1 brought under sub-section B of section I 157 of the same Act, while the third I charge was that of .having published a paper —a printed instruction entitled "How to Vote" —on which the name and place of the printer was not shown as required by the Printers and Newspapers Registration Act, 1908. William" Forbes, Edith Mary Baggott. I Thomas Morrieey, Richard Pilkington, mid James Alexander each had all three charges against them. Pearce Bowden and Arthur Austin had the charges under the Legislature Act only against them, while Louisa Phcppard had one charge under the same Act to answer. Mr. Hackett appeared for all the defendants. The facts generally were agreed upon* between the counsel for the defence and the prosecution. It was shown that the defendants had been at several booths around the city, where jkhey had used the 6mall cards in giving voters their numbers from the electoral roll. The practice was to write the number on the back of the card, and hand it to the voter.

Mr. Hackett contended for the defendants that this election had been carried on in the same manner as all previous elections. Tho defendants had acted with the sole intention of helping the voters by finding their numbers in the electoral rolls, and there was no idea whatever of influencing their voting. The more important point was concerned in the charge under the Printers Act, and in this connection he referred to a judgment of Mr.' Justice Cooper, who had stated that the clause relating to exemptions under this Act was to be liberally construed. If these cards were a breach of the law, then every postcard, placard, or similar publication was a breach of the law. The Act was founded on another Act of the time of George 111., when it was enacted to prevent sedition. With regard to the charges under the .Legislature Act, the offence was purely one of intention, and it could not be said that these cards had been used with any intention of influencing voters, who had at this made up their minds how they were going to vote.

| Senior-Sergeant McNamara stated that , the matter was one of the greatest importance. Although the use of the cards might have been legal three days before the polling day, they were quite illegal within those three days. It was not a fact that people had decided how to vote by the time polling day arrived, and as a matter of fact a great many were undecided and might be influenced. The magistrate said that there was no doubt about the law under the Legislature Act, and that an offence had been committed. Those who had committed a breach under this Act would be fined £3 each and costs. With regard to the charge under the Printers and Kewsi papers Registration Act, decision would ■be reserved, in order that legal argument may be heard.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19190613.2.6

Bibliographic details

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 140, 13 June 1919, Page 2

Word Count
620

"HOW TO VOTE." Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 140, 13 June 1919, Page 2

"HOW TO VOTE." Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 140, 13 June 1919, Page 2