DUNEDIN CENTRAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16742, 24 December 1914, Page 6

DUNEDIN CENTRAL.

The result of the magisterial recount of the votes cast by the electors of Dunedin Central on December 10, as officially announced yesterday, reverses that declared by the returning officer, and gives tho scat to Mr Statham instead of to Mr Munro. In view of the existing state of parties this, of course, is very important, for it means that, supposing Mr Henaro to bo a Reformer, the Government has a majority. But the extraordinary course of events since election day will make most people reserve their calculations for a time, as there aro other recounts and petitions yet to be dealt with which may materially affect the situation. We aro forced to say that tho changes which have occurred after official investigation in Hawke’s Bay and Dunedin Central make us uneasy lest unsuspected mistakes have occurred in some other electorates. In respect of Dunedin Central, indeed, if the suggestion sent by tho Press Association is based on fact, something more than uneasiness is justified. It is said that at one booth a hundred and sixteen ballot papers were numbered by a deputy returning officer in a manner that does not meet tho requirements of tho Legislature Act, and that in the magisterial recount those papers were rejected as informal, the effect being to reduce Mr, Munro’s total by sixty-nine and Mr Statham’s by -forty-seven. As Mr Statham’s mar jority is now announced to be twelve, it is seen that but for the deputy returning officer’s error Mr Mupro would have a majority of ten votes. In a word—assuming the report of this error to be correct—it has disfranchised 'over a hundred electors, and has cost Mr Munro his seat and* tho Opposition its claim to one-half the full strength of the new House of Representatives. It is clear that a gravo injustice will be inflicted and tho principles of the electoral law will be violated if this position is permitted to stand. Either tho ballot papers inaccurately marked by an officer in regard to what is a technicality should be validated, or the election should be declared null and void. The circumstance that this side or that is penalised* or benefited by the mistake is of little account in comparison with the vital consideration that tho will of the electors has been defeated. The first intention of the Legislature and the whole purpose of the statute, with all its elaborate precautions, is to ensure the return of the candidate desired by a majority of the electors. That object appears to have been defeated in Dunedin Central, and the only right thing for tho authorities te do is to remedy the defect. No member of the House of Representatives should owe his return to a blunder, and nobody will be surprised if, as is suggested may be the case, Mr Statham declines to take the seat on such terms.