TRAMWAY LOAN POLLS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13468, 7 July 1909, Page 8

TRAMWAY LOAN POLLS.

. —, » —' In view of the statement mado by Mr' D. Sykes at the tramway meeting at Sydenham on Monday evening to the effect that the polling booths in. the Halswell-Spreydon sub-district were not advertised in, connection, with the loan , 1."_«1L: representative waited on Mr G. W. Hulme, the returning, officer, with a view to obtaining an explanation of the matter*. Mr Hulme stated that Mr Sykos's remarks had been the subject of numerous enquiries at his office. Had Mr Sykes _ statement been founded upon fact, continued Mr Hulme, the omission might have, had very serious consequences, and would have served as the basis for seeking to have the poll ; invalidated. • Mr 'Sykes' was, however, absolutely wrong in. his statement. As a matter •of fact,.the district in question was never, better served with polling booths than on tho occasion of the recent poll. . There were eight booths, distributed as •.follows:—Men's room. Baptist Church, Lincoln- road. Spreydon; Road Board •'„ Office, Simeon street, Spreydon; mar- , quee, Pepper's house, Idris road, Fendalton; Bayley's Land Agency, Papanui : Tasker's store,' corner Clarence road and Princess street; J. Mills's grain store, Strickland street; mar- ; quee, Mrs JBryan's, Holmwood road, near Boundary road; Packwood's* store, . Cashmere Hills. Mr - Hulme further stated, that, singular to say, h© had conferred frequently with Mr. Sykes - about the arrangement of these polling places,- and as it had been impossible to obtain the use of the Addington Workshops library, Mr Sykes had recomme_ded Tasker's store as a booth. Mr Hulme had immediately acted upon the ireoomme-dation. Later Mr Sykes had pointed out that Strickland street did not appear to be over well served, and had recommended ,Mills's grain store, and .again Mr Hulme had carried v his recommendation into effect. Further, .-the polling places were adverti->ed five i times in both tho morning newspapers, li.from. June 12th to.24th, and the adi; vertisemept was not likely to be over- : ! looked, as it was over nine inches in ;";■ length. ; .