Election Day

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 300, 7 December 1922, Page 5

Election Day

POLLINC IN HASTINGS.

BOOTHS KEPT BUSY

Election Day. broke in cool and delightfully fine weather, with" a clear sky bright sunshine and with every evidence of settled conditions. The various polling stations opened at 9 o’clock, when brisk business was done, from the start, at the Municipal Supper-room, the Salvation Army Hall and the Old Library, where people had to await their turn for admission throughout the morning. The Hastings Central School got the voters in batches and the officials were kept going at intervals, but St. Matthew’s Hall was not so well patronised, probably because the Old Library intercepted tho voters in that locality. The Oddfellows’ Hall did brisk business and the staff at Lancaster Hall (Karamu road) were kept steadily employed. The outside booths, also recorded votes in fairly large numbers. The cars running in the interests of Reform (fed, white and blue), Liberal-Labour (black and white), and Official Labour (red) were rushing round the district all day bringing in voters in loads to tho polling booths, and in the afternoon the central stations were kept hard at it, the motor cars distributing the electors systematically, so as to equalise the work of tho booth as far as possible. The conditions combine for the registration of a heavy poll, and everything points to the fact that in Hastings each candidate will register his strength as nearly as possible to the full, so that the election is likely to prove very interesting. The utmost good humour was prevailing up to noon and the supporters of the three candidates for the seat agreed to differ and to leave the result to the ballot box.'

At St. Matthew’s Hall, in the morning, a woman accompanied her invalid mother to the booth, and she evidently considered that she had the right to go with her mother into the voting cubicle, which proceeding the returning officer, of course, would not allow, and he took the old lady in charge himself, with the scrutineers. The daughter made a demonstration, and as the returning officer was placing the papers in the ballot boxes she laia hold of his wrist to get the papers. She was eventually quietened and submitted to the mother placing the papers in the box, but she left threatening to report the conduct of the returning officer and the policeman to the proper authorities.

A round of the Hastings polling offices made between 2 and 2.45 p.m. •bowed the following totals recorded up to time of enquiry at the respective booths:—

Municipal Supper Room .... 460 Salvation Had 621 Old LiOrary' 634 St. Matthew’s Schoolroom .. 250 Oddfellow’s Hall 221 Central School 158 Lancaster Hall 160 Mahora North School 150 Mahora South School 100 Stortford Lodge . 134 Courthouse .. 88 and 95 absentees.

HEAVY POLLING'AT NAPIER. The polling for tho Napier seat today has been exceptionally heavy, and it is expected thnt the poll will he a record one.

(ONDITIONS <ELSEWHERE.

HEAVY POLLING AT DUNEDIN.

f Dunedin, Dec. 7. This morning broke gloriously fine, but it is now overcast, with a light drizzle. Heavy polling is .assured.

SOUTHLAND PROSPECTS

Invercargill, Dec. 7. The weather is overcast, but heavy polling is expected in all electorates. The Hon. G. J. Anderson’s return for Mataura is regarded as assured. The triangular contest for Invercargill renders the issue doubtful, but tho Hon. J. A. Hanan wall probably win. » Mr. J. R. Hamilton is having a hard fight in Awarua, and Mr. Perelle’s supporters are confident. Mr. Thomson will pVobably replace Mr. Adam Hamilton for Wallace.

ABSENTEES AND SEAMEN.

WELLINGTON PERMITS.

Wellington, Dec. 7. Absentee and seamen’s votes for Wellington North number 798, Central 778, East 600, South 413 acd Suburbs 473.

HEAVY POLLING AT AUCKLAND.

k Auckland, Dec. 7. The weather is fin© and the indications are that the polling will be very heavy.

NORTHERN MAORI SEAT.

AN AMENDED RETURN

Dargaville. Dec. 7. In the Northern Maori election later results are:— Tau Henare 2437 Nau Brown Kawiti .... 991 Hone Heke 379 Anani Ngawaka 332 Ihaka 303

Display of Results the “TRIBUNE’S" DISPLAY-

WIRELESS MESSAGES

AT HASTINGS TO-NIGHT

Following the successful practice of previous election years, the “Hawke’s Bay Tribune” has had erected huge hoardings opposite the Tribune Buildings at intersection of Queen street and Karamu road. On these hoardings this (Thursday) evening the results of the polling for Parliamentary candidates in every electorate will be posted immediately th© telegrams come to hand. On the smaller hoarding will be displayed the results of the polling at each booth in the Hawke’s Bay elec-, torate and also progress reports ol the polling in the liquor referendum in Hawke’s Bay. The Dominion parliamentary election results will be displayed on the larger hoarding. It is the custom for agents in each electorate to send progress reports of the counting of the votes, and in order to distinguish progress from final results the former will be posted in rod type, and the finals in black.

On the right hand corner of the Dominion Results Board space will be provided to display the position nt parties, and hero will be seen the relative strength of the opposing forces at the moment of observation.

I The Dominion Liquor Referendum ivote will be similarly displayed with fred number# for piygress reports and black for finals.

Electoral cards giving every electorate and the names of their respective candidates, with blank columns on which to pencil in the votes recorded, is on sal© at the “Tribune” office today and in tho street this evening. People possessing opera glasses should use them this evening. With glasses as an aid to vision they will be able to stand outside the crowd and avoid the crush. Candidates for the Hawke’s Bay electorate will address the assemblage from the corner balcony of the “Tribune” Office when the result of the election is known.

During the evening the Hasting* Town Band will give an open air concert on the grass lawn at the “Tribune” office. The first returns from the smaller local booths will begin to arrive within Ralf an hour of the closing pf the booths (6 P- m -) and these will continue up to about 9, when the figure* from the central booths will be available, and thereafter the outside results will pour in up to after mid night, so that the Keenest interest will be maintained throughout. Scoring cards, replicas of the “Tribune's" election reSult hoarding*, published for the convenience of those who wish to record for their own reference the returns as they are posted will be on sale by boys in the streets. Arrangements nave been made with Messrs Marshall and Henderson, wireless amateurs, to pick up the results which will be broadcasted by the Federal Telephone and Telegraph company, Wellington, between the Hours of 7.30 and 10.30 p.m. The returns by wireless, if available earlier than the Press Association messages which come by gleetric telegraph, will be used lor posting on the hoardings. The Broadcasting t ompahy will use tho 300-metre wave length, and all radio amateurs within a radius of 250 miles of Wellington should be able to get these returns. It ts regretted that under no circumstances can election results be gfven over the telephone by the Napier office of the "Tribune" to-night as the telephone will lie in constant aervioe 'for newspaper purposes.