ELECTORAL CASE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 342, 31 October 1908, Page 4

ELECTORAL CASE.

AN..INTERESTING POINT. tBT TELEGRAPH. —SI'ECIAL COIUIESroNDEtfT.I Dunedin, October 30. A matter, the decision of ' which may affect the poll at Chalmers and possibly the poll at : other ' ports in New Zealand, came before Mr. Widdowson, S.M., to-day in the shape of an application by Herbert James Roberts (seaman on s.s. Opawa) to have his name registered on the electoral roll, which registration had been' refused by the Registrar.

Mr. Solomon, K.C., in supporting the application, said that Section <8 of the Elec-' t-oral Act was made applicable to seamen in this way, that a seaman need not be resident in the colony for twelve months previous to the time lie applied for registration. He was deemed to be resident in the colony if he was engaged on any ship , owned ana registered in New Zealand. The foundation of the action was to determine whether the ship upon which the applicant was ongaged was owned or registered in New Zealand. Mr. Fraser, appearing for the Registrar, said that that officer would probably bo quite satisfied to be proved wrong, but, according to the certificate of registry, the ship was oii N January 1, 1907, owned by George T. Haycraft and Thomas R. Westry,_ both of 188 Leadenhall Street, London, shipowners. They hold 64-64ths of the vessel, i.e., tho whole ship. He (Mr. Fraser) suggested that the company's managing director in Christchurch file an affidavit to ,the effect that the ship was owned by the company, and Messrs. Haycraft and Westry were merely trusteoa on behalf of the company.. His Worship granted an adjournment. for the'purpose. On the Court resuming, Mr. Solomon road the following telegram 'from the general manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company: —" It is within my knowledge that, the 64 shares in the s.s. Opawa are owned by the New Zealand'. Shipping _ Company, Ltd. (Signed) Isaac Gibbs, Christ-church." Mr. Fraser: I am quite satisfied that tho New Zealand Shipping Company- is the owner. It was my duty to raise tho question. ' Mr. Widdowson: The claim will be allowed. _ .

Mr. Solomon said that no doubt the Registrar would bo instructed that any similar cases will be governed by this, which he took to be a test case. ' \ Mr. Fraser: Yes. l y lt is said that about 150 men may be affected by this decision.