MASTERTON LICENSES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 403, 12 January 1909, Page 7

MASTERTON LICENSES.

PETITION TO UPSET THE POLL,

I ■ / THE ENQUIRY OPENED. (BT TELEQEAPH—SPECIAIi BErOBTEB.) ' i . i Masterton, January 11. -V v. .In Masterton to-day- tha chief, topic "• of :i..-:aWnro»ation was -tho - licensing •: It will be . was carried at . tho''November local- option , ; :■ poll a .magisterial 'recountwds asked for . . .. :and held, with thev,resulii.' ; that': the majority for,. Jfo-Liconso-.was>,reduced by three votes, v 1 s and then stood atj 31 2-5. Immediately, on -tloVresult'i : petition, signed -by., about:.sixty: electors of ' JUasterton, jvas lodged.with Mr.:W. P. James, . . S.M.; praying that tho poll bo upset ; on' the v. v». grounds : of; alleged * irregularities -at ■ the' poll. -%?!CX : '';,Kf/Jh'y.i '" Points of the Petition.

The petition, sot .out:—(1) That at tho time <of taking, tho poll tho Masterton h.the meaning of-.Section' 8 of. : tho. Licensing v Act, ■1908, and that no Gazette notice was • ..tho section , of the Act < under ivhich- tho : poll, should betaken, ygv-^iingiregard;tp ;'tlie : fact .that' the'poll was.'the : .firsfc.diconsing-poll.'dieldiri; the now- district.. (2) That all persons (eicept petitioners) ■ ::. '■ ■■ • > recorded ".votes afcv tho poll were .• not adults, or had not resided in- the Do- ; minion-twelve months, or had not resided -in mon th£\. immediately ■ prior to 'registration 'on the roll ■of thefdistrict, andj ithcrelore. '-iveronot .lawfully •on • • .';. tho r rbll'-'--'and qualified as' electors. ' . ' - (3J That the population/ of tho electoral ■ - district'*-having, increased-'since ''the- taking of : last'census-by at:least'2s-per cent., .the .... . .voting-paperV should have contained a pro-. ..' pqiairhX.to^'increase'of. licenses aiid .a sep- : - tissue have been "given to each voter. -.. ; (4),.' : That'-tho .boundaries ,of the district ■ '.-were,-not-gazetted ■■■ as - required<' by the: Electoral Act, 1908. ' ' : is^)^3^at ?^"^si^te^,/ppririi<sSy.were vS^r^bfer&prddd : Tat -, -'the; fpoll;-'there:being-^'no• power-.for 'issuing sucli : permits under tho Legislature Act, 1908. v (6|- .That. irregularities/?occnrred-.-in-, the taking .of the ■ poll: which, petitioners 'alleged, materially affected 'the result, and tended to defeat its fairness. , (') That ,on tho day .of the election ' a . . . procession -of - motor-cars - was ■ held, and streamers bearing the ,word '"No-License" . were'carried.through:tho streets, a'nd-hoard- • : . ings '.were placarded with cartoons,-' and with :. such; injunctions 'as "Strike : out- : the = ton ;^8). 1 -T|>at as soon is; tho local booths wofo ciosed ; at 6-p.m. Messrs. 'M'Grcgor and : Diion,-. leaders of tho No-License party, wore yr-'^admitted- to :the-'Woth,"aiid .althdugkViiot i?k rfe "ng ;in'.any .way : werb' present during' ;';::j;^;:Wg':Vopened;and-c6unfeaVr:V:^ ! t;r'^y' : - : v : J: - tfil vseyeral-^bcc^siorisvoters':who : ;. . had made errors returned 1 lie paper's i-o'.the ; •returning.-officers,. and .fresh voting 'papers . The petition concluded with '-several in- ' f ta " ces , 0 T f ,. a1 , ,1! e e( 3 irregularities, at' specified ; booths. It was ,allegpd that some wio voted '•• . -n r ®' ? n ?? r - a ? e > - atl^ ' otl >ers '.were ,on' ; . the :ix: ; : •

L ' I Legal Argument., /•-V 'V: f v : .iV!y'•'••:••. 'p- : V The adjourned inquiry opened to-day at r pin.; when three magistrates—Dr. A. M'Ar thur, Mr. W. P James, and Mr A. D. Thorn crowded. Mr. C. P. Skerrett, K0 , and Mr :^/S:K^^^U;appearedifor;^etiti6ners;::and^Mr. ;.. - party. : Mr. Hollings • objected :to" certair K!■'- 9Whe..;petitionHe:; referred : - : to v 'tlic / •• gazetting of a new district; and'tho'gazet;i n J. n .If, Boundaries, and contended thai those grounds of take evidence upon them ;• .fP.noWpthwl with'the powers" of an 'Electoral Court. If the poll was void on account : ?fyfhe<CouTt\ivd^ ???£'' 9^.' of : ? person :/ i? 0 ! 03 ont the clause .... which : stated that : all. voters -except 'peti- . : . ; t! .° n « r ? were. eithcr;not adults 6r,ha<f nbt reB it jf? ! n district:;for;.. the : required-length ..*-.. •„ , of \ h®c. / That .allegation - referred to. 7(X!0 .: .y peoplo, and was too; wide and evasive'for •' • '• ' a "i S .Tlio »ames of those -who • ' 'v"°? c - ?-? aw should have:been' sup- -■ also to strike-out the . clause .which stated:-that .votes'.had been "• C i y 110 ;'wero.-on rolls of ' br4c)l w r i ott Te ™h ei iUt his l^rne'd - :tn f n ?. had ;bwn a little-premature.-He did • ' n°t-.propose to'procecd -with' tho •grounds*re- ! notices,;as-the:notte '''.-•'• Pjs ß E\the'new.district'and;houiidaries had ,E S r ? Polly Pushed It nas also not ini?" ? to proceed with the clause relating to , ' ?L„. people,iiad Tofed;Whose- names ''- ' 0n iT olls - ;objection to'. the '= v otors, -except Ponwoners,. had. not; been: entitled' to' vnV> '•• rrJT' 1 '' 1 V' rn l no , t sufficiently specific.. The : ':"" ' n -' deal with "that . matter.. at . once. . .The general impression was that, in ' . .' a /-/!f. en6in e;.petitton;.:it;wM. permissible for ' iw D — O' '^i.' l '! the roll, and inquire whether any voter ought properly to He according to his interpretation of the statute, no such jurisdiction lay in the Court. The S-^VY® ''pSation; was .-retaihed: by ;Jiim for tha pur- •,, - pose, : if ••-.possible,. of at onco ' obtaining ..decision _on : .this question. Tho only groiind : ; ?,{!S? bo. suggested at all that . surt--junsdiotion existed' waß 'under MM™ * nil ° f th / < lj,cet > sm ß Act, ■/%!S fl-„r-: !-■• A?. 1 , "ttle:: consideration would '-.bliow ' • .-to- confer : \ Jurisdiction ~ which was - necessary-, to.: give ;; 's':^i?Sf C T • id-:';#Unaer.-Section; 73 of .; . the Legislature Act, : only' persons" whose ■y& n, 6 °A n J « *11" r<^ 6 en P tle< l to! vote; : ® — 8 thbrejiWas not' juris- ' : ?>-^- C T t to EO.behind firii S jurisdiction, however, was con- ; ...... tho. Elecforal by 'Sect-ion ■; . . 196, sub-section -7., - Sect-ion ■ 33■;• applied only .;. .-, tp. ; , cases, : of .personation and .double voting roll was: entitled ■ :^M ,lr S r n° w ? s ,properly placed there - ' striko out— 1S - lmd no Jurisdiction to baf*' Hollmg3: 1 am not contending that ,t 'rUiiw '•w'+v at t!l ° objection to tho SS^i; VwiSli Enough. :"i--Y •; . jU°W! twd that, nothing . moro' specific . could bo imagined;-,lt objected on certain I." ;T 9|^.Pt'.®yery.pi»rson exocpt petitioners/and, if names had been given, nothing, Wj- fP M "' c '-. °n,that ground ho submitted that ■ /: . tho-.clausc,miist .-stand. It- was contended '. : . n P.. f -''U r . t . exce pt an .Electoral Cburt ' • had jurisdict'ion to.-go-behind. the M He V- .therefore r.asked the" Court; not*-lt<j : strike out -reserve 'a-.decision-■:Won • the - matter until tho wholo-of the evidoncc . . had • been tendered and full discussion given ,to it. i Other Petitions Involvod. f ■] Mr. Ostler pointed out tliat the decision in ifregard to this ground was imnortant in tbaf .. throe /other petitions, were shortly to be >/. beardj in -wbieh,' two' of;. the ; - present niemberf . . of .the Jknch would bo engaged, and i rulinp obtained a't :onno would no doubt apply ir ■ other' cases;---Thorefore, it was. a . most- im--Vvyg- portalit point-. : :•'>/j■: tho Potitlonors' Case.

~'<lri! d periiiig tho case for petitioners, Mr'. Skcrrett; stated that, •nt : the poll, the .• original: declaration of the Returning Officer showed tho. following figures :—Valid votes 5423, - Continuance . 2111,' 'Reduction 2522, No-License 3287.. /According to etho declaration, No-License ; was t carried - by- a majority of 34 1-5 votes. ' However, ho under-' stoodvthat~fa';clear;"clbric'a] 'error had ■. been' made over one vote, and that tho true majority .was': 33-I:s'VotesS' It/would, ho'sc'eh thatthe' a per. cent. -'Of tho ni niber. of valid votes. At tho'magisterial recount tliiv • figures wero juhondca as-follow:—-Valid votes 0391; Con-

: tinuanco. 2100,. Reduction 2504, ,No-Licens« : 3266. j The majority in favour of No-License ; ..as.ascertained at the recount, was .therefore ' .31 2-5, being les,s than two-third por cent, . of : tho total number ofvalid votes recorded. . No-Licenso ■ thus ■ carried by a narrow ■ and a comparatively small perccntago of electors, had to be influenced in order :to affect the result. • ' A Bungle In Legislation. , The first ground, to wliich-ho desired to refer : was;the ! one.which set out thatj -although .the. population of .the. licensing, distriot .had per., bent., no fourth issue was/submitted .to 'the f electors./ He was unable to press that ground, owing" to a bungle in tho legislation on, the matter.. .They would have, little difficulty in establishing : that, there, had been. 25,per.cent.,increase between" the taking of the two censuses in what ,wajr now' district, of Mastortonj but .'apparently;-that' was'.'nbt sufficient to comply with tho. statute. 'Section 145 provided -thatj 'if; the results of any : suclicensiis proved that' the .'population .'"had . increased by 25 por. cent.; then ; a-proposal to increase ■the; hiimber of must be submitted to the electors.'. Under the Licensing AcV.of 1881; licensing.'districts ■ were . coterminous with: ridingsj'; arjd counties,. 1 and .'the.census was taken so, as to distinguish the ;populatiotf ,iii!/those ■; several districts, but the Act;,;df. 1893-made ,licensing, district? coterminous with electoral districts. It was, therefore,, impossible to move for an increase by a comparison' of the \two censuses.' Therinfonnation could not be obtained, and' lie' considered that 'the ;proy isiori'is :to of licenses';iyas.;an^:/abscilutely>uselessApiece , : of. legislation.:.^; ;;.Tho' waived .the'; clauso wliicli had reference.'to ab-, sent 'voters'.permits'. Even if : tho'se, were 'tc--iectod; the issue,would not be changed/; Witli regard-to ;questidn:'of the jssiie of second' papersj . petitioners ' urged 3 that, under ' the returning .officer was: expressly...directed to.give .onlyone: ballot, paper to each',vGter, and that there, was no .provision.^'authorising':;hini vto';'substitute'., a ;new -paper in of one. spoilt -or oblit- :? r (Mr'-; : Skerrett) regarded: I 'spoilt". ballot .papers. as^VpajjeHrwhich'-liad: '.aged.'byithe returning.'officer'or his officials,-: reference' in. a "parcel, of unused 1 sp ol ''. papers," and ho held it would l>e odd if; tlie. inference'could be drawn that a voter could.. not get 'a '• fresh Noting, paper for! every ono he spoiled.* . iMr. . James: Thero 'does: ! not: seem; to'be i anything .unreasonable'. in itvis\in force] at Home. • • •/" .v."-::j;

i .long timo. . .-'.-' /i 'M:VM . -Mr._S!;errett:.Butt here" is a definite state: nicnt ih t-ljtf Act that -tho is •o. givo. oho Ballot paper. ■: • : '■• ■*■'''Vv;-:y" : Euiclcnce of Scrutineers. . j Herbert William PownaJl, law. 'clerk, - acting as .chief; Scrutineer 'for. the Liquor party. stated- 1 , that :ai. theVrecount flo 'saw ' 20Vor 30 fe''Pfc? a PP.tsi;regiTde4:.'as/'ValiSj : - , -whi(!h'-'liad the,name, of.,the- returning officer and: scrutineers written across the face. Those-which |vcro_ only' initialledVby- the ,returning/.officor :i had .Been thrown out- ns- invalid. More than jne voter at the main . booth- had ...beenpven , t a', second- opting ' paper, and Witness lodged a formal protest. At .the recountitlie returning officer- said that he had in-, structions y-to :_i§siio ;.twp --bril]ot-papers • when. ;spoiled;■;The. originals; were' sealedjiip m a iJaoKet-.and no notice what--/ofr them,.; - After, the ■ poll' Messrs.. M'Gregor and Dixon, who had. 110- : de the poll,'- had. gone into the. polling, booth .and vremained .there where ; wit^ness, was' working., until.. tho votes'- wero :ountpfl. -. At -about -8.40 on ■ the morning of - no ' poll he saw a- procession of .four motor ' . and j children : go. along the street. At 9 ; . o'clock; heVisaw. them; in Queen(..Street,, and■;>each car carried a jtreamer..vbearing ;,the :;words y th , 6^: . ilunng the day. ~ y . y . Joseph ...Arthur,.. advertising. agent, ' deposed/that heyhad; put-up placards "for . the 1 pa^feandthad'posted; up -.paperstoir'behalf-.bf the. liquorparity.; • 'elerk?.'\Who*hail ict-ea, a's ;.scrutinMrTP)irb.eljalf xjf *rtheTliifcai'Se'. 8 tatedi'that.: in several- voters' iaa..;beonrgivenvs^ndivoting'pipers'; i, - ! These ?ere; ; signed'..by!the Jeturaing 'pfficle^and'thi*icrutineers. 5 .. ; Witness also - referred to < the P°'9 r ; f ar ( 'iri 'the' i street- at ono minute'to'nino. ;He signed : ln g;offi?^;hand?d;them' L to':him; i :ahd'he' rfH? , J^., a ,^; 't-'was; ..tjhe''right' thing'.ti> J ,d'o.' it tpok;only_ halfi-assecorid: to sweai' hini in;- . tte;-simply, signed ;th"e iusual'form; : - No :sec- : won; or tho Act was' read to him. '- ' ■ ■ i J^Jf^ section. ' of ' ttb'- Actvwas aot'readJMypuvit^shbTO.ve^ lUcp on-.tne^pa r t!pf;the : person : administering! tne. aeclaration;; and.'j also '■ M iy^W-^ on '- , y9^ : clerk;' ind' : ought to have, known bettor. - ~r?rraericK;Jam6s>Bright,-.farmer,' .of JRongo-; • ipka ko_, ! ; .deposeJ |;th.at waitedoutside'' the ■ nihe\iiiitir about'': i-L ®P ; tho .' corning" of the fcollingi'dajv 1 At' ' ™e.'bop : tli .■Mi.not:-bpeni''.-. , '.He.went ; 1 ivyiw^^ut;:vptmg, i :ana recorded his vote ' it. the;'Eketahuna booth, v ' v ,- - : Frank Dearing Kelly deposed, that lie saw h m ?yOr s.cars,:.with;y their; ' streamers at'fife.past nine. The Court' adjourned ■' at 1 3 ° to.'resumei'this' mprning'.at 9.30.; -.v. i!