LOCAL OPTION POLL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume L, Issue 9001, 25 January 1906, Page 5

LOCAL OPTION POLL.

THE INVERCARGILL ENQUIRY

. [press association.] , . . INVEROARGILL, January 23. ' : At thelnvercargilllooal option enquiry to-day, after evidence of the alleged offences had been heard, Mr Adams, counsel for the respondents, contended that the absence of an official stamp from the voting papers did not invalidate these. With regard to dual voting, eight persons had a right to vote> c while of the two others one must be valid.

The Bench of Magistrates then decided to make a scrutiny of the challenged votes, and this occupied about two hours. On resuming, Mr Basking, counsel for the petitioners, submitted with regard to three unsealed permits,. that these should be disallowed, as the was the .only test of. authority whej*-t-he papers came from a distance : one ' voter had recorded his local option vote on the back of the paper, and that should be disallowed; so also should three signed papers, and two bearing remarks. Mr Adams said that if all the votes referred to wjere dis allowed by the Bench, no-license would still have a three-fifths majority. Mr Ho9ldng said the Bench had not yet decided the point whethe^the informal votes were to be added to- tfie number of votes recorded. Mi Adams contended tEat the votes adjudged infbrriial were obviously voided, and could not s be galvanised into life for any purpose. \ It is expected tha*.'"the enquiry will ■finish to-morrow.

The tenor of the evidence given indicated that the poll had been remarkably well conducted. In the case of the deaf man who, it was alleged, was refused voting papers,, it was shown tha-t he refused to answer written qiiestions, and that he left the booth in dudgeon, and was not put out as alleged.