LOCAL OPTION. THE HUTT POLL

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 143, 16 December 1908, Page 11

LOCAL OPTION. THE HUTT POLL

GROUNDS OF THE COUNTER PETITION. The counter petition filed at Petone yesterday (as reported in last night's Post;, regarding the Hutt local option poll, reviews the results as declared by the Returning Officer, and proceeds :—: — The declaration by the Returning OffiI ccr as to the number of votes recorded | in favour of each proposal was erroneous on the grounds :—: — (1) That in tho counting of the votes a large number of absentee votes (a majority of which were in favour of nolicense) were counted, whereas there is no power or authority for the issue of permits for same or tor recording votes so recorded. (2) That voting paper No. was written upon by the vater and allowed as a vote for no-license, although such paper by reason of Ihe writing thereon was informal. (3) That voting paper No. was allowed as a vote for no-license and reduction although such paper by reason of the bottoir. line being partly struck out was informal, (4) That eleven voting papers numbered which said papers had the initials . or (being the signature of the Returning Officer signing such paper as having assisted a blind or illiterate voter to vote) were improperly Jeclared to be informal papers and that the said votes should have been recorded as follows : seven for continuance, two for reduction and no-license, and two for no-license. (5) That a number of further votes in favour of continuance of licenses were improperly disallowed. (6) That in addition to being unauthorised, a majority of the absentee votes were informal by reason of being votes for districts other than the Huts Licensing District and by reason also that the same were not enclosed in sealed envelopes and placed in another sealed envelope with the permit authorising such voter to vote, and there was nothing to show that such votes were valid votes. (7) That continuance was carried by a larger majority than was declared by tho Returning Officer because the whole of the persons who voted for no-license at the said poll were not adults and had not resided in New Zealand for one year or. upwards and had not resided in the electoral district for three months immediately prior to his or her registration on the roll of the Hutt Electoral District or (being prior to such registration upon anothei roll) had not resided for at least one mouth prior to registration within the Hutt Electoral District and all the said persons were disqualified within the meaning of section 38 of the Legislature Act, 1908, and their names should have been erased from 'the roll and generally none of the said persons were qualified as electors within the meaning of section 35 of tho Legislature Act, 1908. (8) That at the official count of the ballot papers at the said poll held on Saturday, the 21st day of November, 1908, two ballot papers which did not contain any .marks other than proper official marks were propeily rejected as informal by the Returning Officer. After having been so properly rejected all the papers rejected as informal including tlw> tw.o said papers were handled and examined and careful notes made s-« i-o the same by present at the count. Upon ihe said recount of the votes polled at the said poll it was found that the said two papers had been tampered with by having the top line crossed out and the said papers <?ere improperly allowed as votes for nohcense and reduction, whereas, 'the same should have been disallowed as informal. (9) That at the said poll rendered her ballot paper informal by striking out three lines and she thereupon applied to the Deputy Returning. Officer at the Oddfellows' Hall, Petone, for a fresh ballot paper but the Deputy Returning Officer refused to supply her with another paper and compelled her to put the invalid papei in tho ballot box, whereby a valid vote for' continu ance was lost. (10) That was duly enrolled upon the roll, -but when he went to vote he found that , his name had been improperly ruled out in red ink and a valid vote for continuance was thereby lost. Wherefore tho petitioners pray :—: — (1) That a recount and scrutiny of the votes given at the said poll may be directed and that it may be determined that in lieu of the amended declaration as to the result of the said poll published by the Returning Officer on tho second day of December, 1908, the /esult of the said poll was b, greater majority in favour of tho proposal that licenses be granted than was so declared by the said Returning Officer That such further or other order may be made as the petitioners are by law entitled to as the result cf such enquiry.