SOME INCIDENTS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11021, 19 July 1901, Page 5

SOME INCIDENTS.

At one of the polling booths, it i<? related, a voter of tie fair sex,' on noticing the religious pictures on the. walls, knelt on the floor, and apparently indulged in some religious exercise. On asking for a paper, she was informed that her name was not on the roll, and she departed with a "Good-bye, dear," to the respectable married man who was acting as deputy. The informal voting paper of one elector, who was evidently of a racing turn of m::id, bore the sad inscription:—"l can't pick it."

One enthusiastic old gentleman came up from Lyttelton yesterday to record his vote simply, as he told a friend, to save himself being struck off the roll. "As for the candidates," said he, "they are a matter of indifference; nobody cares very much who gets in, but I don't want my name off the roll."

The new Act is apparently responsible for much confusion as to what is legal or illegal for a candidate to do. It is stated that the almost total absence of vehicles convening voters to the polls was due to the fact that two of the candidates imagined that the use of vehicles for that purpose is prohibited. One candidate, however, accepted all offers of conveyances for the purpose of bringing all likely voters to the booths. At one of the principal polling places, up to two hours after the opening of The poll, scarcely a dozen votes were recorded. At another the Deputy Returning Officer and clerk were the sole occupants for a considerable time, and the advent of a solitary voter, or a, cou-' pie, was hailed as a welcome break to the monotony of waiting. At one of the booths the Deputy Returning Officer foldei over the ballot paper, so as to partly conceal the name of the first candidate, and then placed the number and the stamp over it, thus obliterating to some extent the name of the candidate? This was objected to by one voter, who held that the only psrsoit to obliterate the face of the voting paper was the elector. Comment has been made about the time people were kept waiting in some of the booths before they are able to record their

votes. In flome instaooee people were kept waiting a* long ac mix an hour nntil the rolls had been explored from A to Z in search of a name that bad been imperfectly caught by the geatlemen in charge of it. Complaints have reached Uβ tibat electors who voted a,t the last election were precluded from exercising their rights yeeterday because their names were not on the roB. Aβ usual, some one.eeema to hove blundered. It is certainly unfortunate that a voter who has not forfeited the right to exercise his privileges as a citisen should be debarred from doing so because of th* mistake of the Government's officers.

As showing that at least one elector was unaware of the election being held, it ia narrated that a lady passing the Provincial Council Chambers stopped to .enquire what the stir was. When informed, she ejaculated: "Good gracious, is there an election to-day," and went in to record her voto, A scrutineer, irith vague notions of his duties, put in> an appearance ac soon a*, a certain booth opened. He reported hunse'if to the deputy, and airily remarked: —"Well, good day, I'M be back at seven o'clock," and he went off. .

Same confusion resulted from the change made in the polling booth for the eastern portion of the city from the East Ohristchurch school to" the East belt Sunday schoolroom. By the afternoon, however, all confusion on the matter had evidently been dispelled. The Rev. C H. Laws kindly provided the officials engaged on the work with refreshments.

Th« city wee comparatively d«eerted yestorday, the shops, etc., being closed from noon, and there appeared to be a leaser number of people in the streets than on a Thursday afternoon.

"What is troubling mc is tihe Shop and Offices Bill, not *ho election." remarked a resident yesterday, wihen ask,ed if he had voted.

The first return received by the Returning Officer, Mr H. Murray, was the M to Z portion of the Provincial Council Chamber, which was under the charge of Mr L. 0. Williams. Mr Murray received the return aibout twenty minutes to eight. The first complete return received was that from the booth at 'Messrs Oates, Lowry, and Company's,' where the deputies were Messrs W. G. Garrard and F- They had completed their labours at 7.30. T«he last return received was a portion of the polling at St. John's. The deputy 'had been, unable to make the number of votes recorded tally with the number of papers given him, and albhoug-h he had posted th© return early at the booth, the Returning Officer did not receive them till about a quarter past nine.