THE NEWTOWN LOCAL OPTION POLL. DEMANDS FOR AN ENQUIRY INTO IRREGULARITIES

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 55, 2 September 1903, Page 5

THE NEWTOWN LOCAL OPTION POLL. DEMANDS FOR AN ENQUIRY INTO IRREGULARITIES

CORRESPONDENCE. WITH THE PREMIER. The following correspondence has passed! between the Executive of the New Zealand Alliance and the Premier on the subject of the Newtown local option poll :-— New Zealand) Alliance Office, 20th August, 1903.— T0 the Rt. Hon. the Premier. — Sir, — I have the honour to report tfhat the Executive of the New Zealand Alliance at its last meeting resolved to ask you respectfully to institute an enquiry into the circumstances under which, and the person by whom, voting papers were said to have been abstracted from a Newtown pollingbooth. Stress was laid on the fact thab the person referred to was said not to be a member of the Trade, and the Executive feel that a reflection upon some of their supporters has been implied by the statement made, and I'hey are warranted in asking that this shall be either justified or disproved. — I have, etc., Frank W. Isitt. Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 29th August., 1903.— Sir,— I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the- 20th instant informing me that at the last meeting of the Executke of lihe New Zealand Alliance it waa resolved to ask me to institute an enquiry respecting the voting papers abstracted from the Newtown polling-booth. In reply I beg to inform you that every reasonable endeavour will be made to elucidate the matter, and steps will be taken to amend the law so as to impose heavy penalties on returning officers, deputy returning officers, scrutineers, and electors wJio are partiete to allowing or taking voting or other papers, used or otherwise, out of the polling-booths. — I have, etc., R. J. Seddon. The Executive considered the matter at its meeting yesterday, and passed the following resolutions : — "The Executive expresses its- regret that the Premier' did not endeavour to elucidate the matter connected with the alleged abstraction of voting papers from the Newtown pollingbooths before publicly stating that such papers had been taken by individuals who were not members of the Trade, andl whose identification with the no-license movement he implied wflien he advised the members of the no-license deputation not to enquire into the matter too closely. It also regrets that, having thus publicly expressed his unwarranted suspicions of the no-license party, he still fads to promise an exhaustive enquiry into the circumstances. It further regrets that while dealing with Uhe subject the Premier should have made no mention of the fact that a number of ballot papers in one of the Newtown booths were shown .to have been tampered with between the count and recount, in a manner that proved beneficial to the Trade."