ELECTION PETITION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 110, 11 May 1909, Page 8

ELECTION PETITION.

« THE WESTERN MAORI SEAT. [BX IEIiEGBAPH — PHESS ASSOCIATION.] HAMILTON, This Day. At the hearing of the Western Maori election petition, Mr. Earl, for petitioner, continued his address on the court resuming this morning, dealing minutely with clauses and sections of the Act. Counsel said that the returning officer was not called upon to publish any notices regarding who were electors, and that Ino published such notices only goes to ■show that he had more intelligence than the legal draughtsman of that section of the Act. Win. Henry Grace, returning officer, said he attended the nomination of candidates at Taumarunni, and called for a show of hands. A poll being demanded, every nominator was given a certificate that he was entitled to vote ; and witness declared that the election should take place on 2nd December. He was promised 8000 voting papers from Wellington, but ultimately obtained 11,000. From about the 17th to 21st November, he started sending out voting papers, doing so np to the very day of the election. He appointed deputyofficers, copies of instructions to officers were gazetted, and paragraph 4 of the Act was sent to every officer. He followed instructions as nearly as he could, though not exactly. He opened a. booth, announcing that the electors must come in one by one. and put up a placard out side on his own initiative. He did not send copies of the writ to the deputies. Tables for scrutineers were placed some distance from the officers. He did this according to instructions, so that tbere should be no native influence by anybody about the proceedings.

•Although Wellington South ha 6 been declared a no-liceiiFO district, which means that all the hotels in it must clase on 30th June next, .Mr. Hoitidsworlh, of the Newtown -Hotel, and 'Air. Aitken, oE the 'Grosvenor 'Hot-el, have lodged applications for a renewal of their licenses. The annual meeting of the committee has been called for the 4th of June. Mr. T. 'W. Kirk, Government 'Biologist, will leave for Auckland about the end of the week to attend the A. and P. Association's winter show. He will afterwards go to Du»»4in, whora a similar show will toe held.