THE HARBOR ELECTIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2423, 11 February 1909, Page 6

THE HARBOR ELECTIONS.

[To the Editor.] Sir,—'ln your final, report of the harbor election you give the returns as 970 for outer harbor and lo2d against. These figures are misleading, as they are taken from the Couritv returns only, and you do not explain that in this return : the figures do not mean “voters” but on:.' “votes,” and that in the majority ot booths where the one vote is predominant the numbers in favor of the (filter harbor greatly exceed those against. It is/ quite evident on an analysis that the plural vote lias elected the harbor opponents in the county. Again, the borough figures, whore one ratepayer one vote exists, shows that the outer harbor members got 1133 against the opponents lOoO; and further, if Mr. Townlcy, who is represented in your columns. as in •favor of an outer harbor, is taken into this count, the outer harbor shows an additional 610, making■ 1 /■ -■ j for an outer harbor and 44-0 for no harbor ; in the town. It is a very common opinion that if the election was decided on the whole as one latepavci one vote, the whole of the representatives would he outer harbor, advocates on this fair method of deciding the question. The great effort to elect members of the Board pledged against the outer harbor lias been mainly successful through the plural vote exercised bv those who fear the question being brought forward to adopt Mr. Mnvchant’s scheme being submitted as provided by. the special Act to the people on the one ratepayer one vote basis. —I am., etc., W. MADDISON.