BAY OF ISLANDS SEAT

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 75, 21 December 1928, Page 14

BAY OF ISLANDS SEAT

PETITION TO BE LODGED ■ STATEMENT BY MR. BELL 7 ' Dominion Special Service. 5 Auckland, December 20. t Supporters of Mr; Allen Bell, in Man- - gonui, Hokianga, Whangaroa, Bay of i Islands and Whangarei counties, have 3 decided.to file a petition against the return of Mr. H. M. Kushworth, the Country Party candidate for the Bay i’—- of Islands seat in the recent general election. As the result .of . a magis- ' terial recount Mr. Rushworth was declared elected by two votes. It is to be submitted that errors / were made in the counting of the i votes.and that’certain serious irregu- * larities’ occurred in the conduct of the election. i- An electoral court will probably sit •f In January. i Mr. Bell stated to-day that in offering to resign when he was declared elected on the casting vote of the re- " turning officer, and later in a statement to the Press, he had given a lead to his opponent which had not yet been taken. Since Mr. Rushworth had de- - cided to leave the matter in the hands of his local committee he had himself 7 finally decided to leave the question with -his supporters- and his local ; committee. He had obtained an expression of opinion from supporters in all parts of the electorate, : and this was unanimously in favour of a petition being lodged with a view to holding another election. Under ' the cireuhistances, Mr. Bell said he ; felt he had to consider this wish, and had now been prevailed on to consent to a petition being lodged. He had no doubt as to the finding of the Electoral Court, and he had again written to Mr. Coates informing him that even if he were declared elected by the Electoral < lotirf he would; not on any account hold the-seat under the present conditions, but would at once resign and bring about a by-election. Mr. Bell added that if a by-election was held he had every confidence in the result. Such an election would be stripped of all side issues, and would be a true reflex of the feelings of the electors with regard to his work, in the interests of North Auckland.