LOCAL BODIES' ELECTIONS.

Mataura Ensign, 19 May 1910, Page 5

LOCAL BODIES' ELECTIONS.

AN IMPORTANT POINT. PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. ASHBURTON, May 19. A case of considerable interest regarding local bodies' elections came before Mr V. G. Day, S.M., this morning in the nature of a petition lodged by James Dellow, farmer, of Mayfield, whose nomination paper as a candidate in the Rangitata Road Board election had been refused by the returning officer on the ground that it was invalid by reason of not being dated. The evidence showed that Dellow had handed in the nomination pajoer en--dorsed by two ratepayers and that the document bore no date. Subsequently Dellow went to the returning officer and' demanded the return of the paper prior to the closing of the nominations for the purpose of inserting the date. The returning officer refused to return the paper, and when a new paper. was brought to the Board's office on the day the nominations closed the officer was absent at noon and afterwards he refused to accept it as valid. After lengthy argument the magistrate decided that he had no option but to grant the petition. The fact that the nomination paper was not dated did not invalidate it. The election of the Board was therefore declared void, but costs were not allowed against the returning officer.