MISSED THE HOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 116, 18 May 1944, Page 3

MISSED THE HOUR

A POSTED NOMINATION P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, May 17. The circumstances in which, the nomination of Mr. W. G. Carter for the Heathcote Valley Riding of the Heathcote County Council was disallowed by the returning officer (Mrs. E. M. Duncan, county clerk) were the subject of a statement today by Messrs. F. E. Taylor and A. S. Campbell, who signed the nomination. The paper was posted on Saturday morning, and should have been received before nominations closed at noon on Monday. Mrs. Duncan's reply was that the council's post office box was cleared at the usual times on Monday, and because she was not aware that the nomination paper was coming it was not cleared between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Because Mr. Carter's nomination was not allowed, the Labour Party candidate for the riding, Mr. W. B. Laing, was declared elected unopposed. Mrs. Duncan said she had obtained legal opinion on her action in disallowing the nomination and her interpretation of the Act had been upheld. The placing of the notification in a post office box did not constitute delivery at the office of the county, as specified by the notice given in accordance with the Act. When the question was referred to the registrar of electors, Mr. A. A. Basley, he said the general practice in Parliamentary elections was for returning officers'to clear the mail just before the time for the closing of nominations. As far as the rolls were concerned, there was an instruction that registrars should clear the mail just before the closing of the rolls.