TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1908. THE SECOND BALLOT.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 95, 20 October 1908, Page 4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1908. THE SECOND BALLOT.

In view of the large number of candidates offering for the coming elections, the Second Ballot Act may possibly be largely used, and the following resume of its provisions from a contemporary will doubtless be read with interest : — Unless at an election one of the candidates receives more than half the number of valid votes recorded, including the casting vote of the Returning Officer, a second ballot will have to be taken. For instance, the candidates are : Brown, Jones, and Robinson. Brown polls 450, Jones 300, and Robinson 250. Brown, though at the head of the poll, is not returned, .as out of the 1000 votes cast, he has not received the required actual majority — 501. Therefore, the second ballot will be taken between Brown and. Jones. Again, if no candidate has received an absolute majority—say, 501 out of 1000 votes cast — but two or more candidates have received the same number of votes, the Returning Officer will have to give his casting vote to one of those candidates, so as thereby to give him an actual majority, and thus prepare the way for a second ballot. In the following electorates the second poll will be taken on the fourteenth day after the first poll: -Bay of Islands, Bay of Plenty, Kaipara, Marsden, Mo,tueka, Taumarunui, Tauranga, Wakatipu, Wallace, and Westland. In all other electorates, the second poll will be taken on the seventh day after the first one. When in future the Representation Commission eatab- j lishes new electoral districts, as it does every five years, it will determine whether the second ballot shall take place at an interval of seven or fourteen days. When the Returning Officer finds that a second ballot is necessary, he must giv-e full publicity in the newspapers of the fact, and of the day on which it will be taken. At the second ballot the candidate who receives the highest number of votes will be elected. If the two candidates tie, the Returning Officer will settle the matter by his casting vote. The same polling places will be used at tli© second ballot as were used at the first poll. No candidate will be allowed to retire from the contest at the second ballot. If a candidate dies before the closing of the poll at the second ballot, the election will have to be commenced afresh, as \mder the present electoral law. In spite of the fact that a second ballot has to be taken, a candidate may demand a

recount of votes at the first poll. A recount may also bo demanded by any candidate who has reason to believe that he has been wrongly excluded from a second ballot, or that any candidate declared to be elected has not an absolute majority of votoji. The candidates at the second baHot may also demand a recount of the votes taken at the second ballot. If at a recount in respect of the first ballot, the magistrate, finds that any candidate did really, get an absolute majority, the second ballot will be abandoned. If on any recount in respect of the first ballot, the magistrate finds that a candidate who %yas declared to be elected had not

recei vt»d an. absol nte majority, a second baltdtNiylll" be taken . If, as -the resxilt; of a ; recount, -it is feundi.JkJiat the. second ballot has been taken between the wrong two candidates, another second ballot will. have to be taken between the two proper candidates. The Act does riot affect the present law regarding election petitions, but is extended to the second ballot. 'Further, it is provided .'that if, as the result "of an election petition, the court is of opinion that the second ballot is void, and that no candidate was entitled to be elected at the first .ballot, the court will declare the whole election to be void. If, however, the court finds that the sec.' ond ballot is void, and that a candidate at the first poll was entitled to be declared elected, the court will deolare - that 'candidate elected. The .total expenses of a candidate at a second ballot must not exceed £50, and they will be paid out of the Consolidated Fund. The Act does riot apply to Maori elections, nor will it aifect the local option poll. The opportunity given to electors by the Second Ballot Act of rectifying errors in the first polls may, in the opinion of the Lyttelton Times* prove a very real source of danger to the Liberal cause. "Moreover," it states, "we cannot be sure that the second ballots will be. uniformly in favor of Liberal candidates. The whole tendency of the system is to weaken the ranks of tho more powerful party, because it appears, at first blush, to" lessen the dangers arising from idle votting on 'purely personal grounds, and from party divisions. Where the feeling between two sectidffis of the Liberal party is at all pronounced, the. second ba4lots- will encourage the friends of a rejected candidate to .express '-their disappointment by -voting against their own political convictions. ;. The measure has the natural weakness of an unscientific system of election, and its operation cannot be anticipated with any confidence. We can' only urge the Liberals to make the best of it by remaining'absolutely loyal to their principles and by concentrating thoir votes on the bestequipped candidate in the field."

On page 2:. The Emperor of Austria ; wonderful- Egyptian women. Page 3: Political: Page 6: Amazing marriage ; A hint of his story. Page 7: Two deacons and a widow.

The bowling green is looking particularly well, and a couple of rinks will now be prepared for play each day. The official opening, as usual, will be held on the 9th of November.

Intending visitors to the Hastings show on Thursday are reminded that the excursion train will leave Dannevirke at 7.50 a.m., arriving at the show grounds at 11.50 a.m. On the return journey the train will leave the show grounds platform at 4.52, p.m., and arrive at Dannevirke at .half-past nine.

As a reason for the escapes from Waiotapu planting camp, a Christchurch paper says the following answer, which is authentic, explains some of the ills which captive flesh in that prison camp has to bears — "Privileges!" burst out the prisoner with biting scorn. "Privileges, do you call them ? There aren't any privileges in that camp, mister. Why, hang me, if they haven't stopped us now from going in. to the Rotorua dances! It was time to clear!"

The sale of the Riverside estate at 1 Woodyille yesterday/ was. conducted by the N.Z. L, and M. Co., in conjunction with Wenley and- Ilanauze. There was a large' and representative attendance. -The bidding hung fire, but after the sale the; fojllpwing lots were sold: Section, .92 a.%- £34 per acre; 93, £34 per acre ; -94, £34 per acre; 161, 162 at £34 per acre to. local buyers. Section 152 was also sold at a satisfactory price. Sections 153 and 154 are at present under offer' to buyers/ and it is expected that the remaining sections will soon be disposed of. We understand that the homestead section and the adjoining lot have been placed under offer by the auctioneers to a Wairarapa buyer. No bid was received for Mr Ruddick's farm, but the property is now under offer, and it is expected that a sale will be effected.

•A relic of Captain Cook's voyage of discovery to New Zealand is .in the market for sale, and Mr A. Hamilton, director of the Dominion Museum, has just received a letter and pictorial description of it. It is a copy j of a pat-u, or black stone mere, of : the kind known as onewa, and is in ; bronze, and bears on the blade the arms of "Jos. Banks." The arms were those of Sir Joseph Banks before he received his baronetcy. The date , on the mere is 1772. It was probably ; presented to Sir Joseph Banks as a ! souvenir of the voyage which caused ' such great enthusiasm in England and on. the Continent among scientific men of the 18th century. The period which elapsed between the :terniina- i tion of the voyage in Juri€£i77l, and ] the early part of 1772, makes it prob- i able that the mere was cast and en- ; graved and given to Sir Joseph Banks after Cook's return. There is strong probability of the genuineness of the relic.

Ten barrels, of oil l^-ere collected at the' Taranaki Petroleum Co.'s No. 2 bore yesterday. The indications are considered to be most*pTomising.

The goods train, i.whicli left Dannevirke shortly before Btiiiefor the north last night, conveying^ostock for the Hastings show, was one of the longest — if not the'.-rkmgest — ever sent from the station. ;; lt! comprised a load equal to about 65 .single vehicles, and was drawn by two ■

_The architect" jßp* fthe Eductftijoiqr Board visited Nqrsewood yesietdayi. arid inspected the' outbuildings Cand the (»ndi.tibniof-i-tiieisch<s6l-:b'nikiings.-The inspection vaj^madey as .the resiilt of represenl«aons^i|y>tlieY^Scllool Committee, ancl t ,a,.Kep_oxfewill be presented at the next;, meeting of -.the Board. ■:■ •A*' -'.. r■' —^ " ".: -

The following are appointed to be members d^ttaT^chigis,'. Superannu-.. ation Board ctAptitu'tSd under the v -Ptrijli^^ervir^/J^ssification - and 1908:' Dr Fitch<&tt (Solicitor-Q^ferai) J. W. Poynton^uMft: Trustee), Gi " Hogben (Inspector-General of Schools) and Colonel Col'Jins;J(Sec)i l etary of tie Treasury). ; " . .

There is much; speculation in legal circles as to what the^attitude: of the Government will: be m.rfche matter of giving compensation to. ETallinen; and to the nearest .of Anderson, the two men yvho were, imprisoned in connection with tile.:... JVestport tTagedy. It is Understood that the Government has been requested to; consider the case with the -.view of granting eompensation-to -the two men who were wrongly convicted.

"One pound but' -of every five pounds of butter used in Christchurcli during the winter,; comes from the North Island," 'saiff the secretary of the Canterbury' Central Dai : r,ir Oompainy recently. '^Thequßhtitydf butter brought heircl frbm^the Jf^rth is increasing every year, if- it were not for the Nortli IslaM biitt^r <»m---inghere prices would' 'be at a famine level during th^winter^-probaWy 2s op 2s 6d a pouiid.' T lfi >

Many Government ser.vafrits - -at Christchurch a£e" aimous .to .gel; Parliamentary candidates/ to! _ pledge themselves to ei^eavojir to sepiina that Government sefr&jyf&' in all--d^pai-t---ments be paid/f,ogf£ig;htly instead of monthly, finding js|i^-';mon^sr. payments, especially* m "small townships, necessitates mSS^HVith-f amilies ranliing in ,dels I£TB?etail<srs afc prices much aljove ctirreiJt rat«s. Monthly payments also"' tefifl 'Tto Enlarged accounta and againstsfchrift. , . At the Canterbury Trades a^nd ■La]ps^pun.cil on Saturday, the 'l^rime'^inist^r wrote stating that the P6pre^ntations made by tlie council TegarHing the branding o*f goods made in NeV Zealand werft under the consideration of the GoreMiment. The :' : Mimster for Railways wrote stating the question, of the railway .employees who left the service in 188 f coitfcf not "be considered, as they le^^-bugh dissatisfaction. The cases or. the men who left in 1890 would'- tie 'dealt with by Par-' liainent. . • . . . . .'. ; ?v^> J ..-■.. A <3onsiderable H amount of spaoa om the Wairarapa 's show gncrand at Cai-terton: h^;" already been booked by intendißg. exhibitors. Besides the usual implements, traps, «nd vehicles, and motor -c#rs to m sdeu, there will be a^demohstration fey &m: Government, bee expert as carried out by him for years at Aiickland. Niimerous side shows have booked the remaining available space, and the public will /have every opportunity of obtaining all .fields of diversion; i» this direction froia riding a buoking, bullock to seeing the "only origuial Marionettes /and Punch and Judy."