THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1894.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9478, 6 April 1894, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1894.

In Dunedin and Wellington, •where much more interest has been shown in the licensing elections than in Auckland, a public agitation prevails respecting the irregularities and anomalies that have been revealed. All over the colony the questions have been raised, first, what are "informal" votes? and next, whether these should be counted, so as to make up the necessary quota? Upon this has depended in many cases whether the vote has been for reduction or for letting things stand as they are. On both questions returning officers have differed. It has been ruled, we think in the majority of cases, that two lines must be struck out in each of the three sections of the voting paper. Thus, in the voting papers issued there were questions put as to accommodation licenses and bottle licenses. But Auckland voters had nothing to do with these, and most of them probably did not know what a bottle license meant. Yet they had to score out two lines in the queries about bottle licenses, or else the vote was informal. Mr. Earnshaw, writing to the Otago Daily Times on this subject, says :— "That a vote should be declared invalid upon a count that has no existence in the electorate, and which, no matter how the verdict of the electors was cast, could have no possible effect, yet should have the power to annul true votes upon real issues, is, in the light of common sense, a most improper and mischievous ruling upon the part of the returning officer." Further, he says, that he has a distinct recollection that while this clause was being discussed it. committee the Premier distinctly informed the House that each issue stood by itself, and that an informality upon one issue would not invalidate the rest, and he undertook to make the matter clear. But what the Premier said is of no authority now. The question is, what is the proper construction of the words used.

As to whether votes which the returning officer considers " informal" are to be reckoned as votes polled, and so count in estimating whether the poll is or is not valid, there may be a question, and as different conclusions have been come to, a case should be tried. Our impression is, that the Court would reckon an informal vote to be no vote at all. It is alleged that at Wellington beer tickets were distributed, and that several women were refused voting papers " because their husbands were sailors." By the way, the returning officers complain of the way in which the women recorded their votes. In one case, at Wellington, a woman—an exschool teacher—occupied nalf-an-hour in recording her vote, and as like cases were numerous, and only half-a-dozen persons could be allowed in a booth at a time, the polling was thus seriously delayed. By the Act, the chairman of the committee must be the Resident Magistrate, who has a deliberative and a casting vote. In some cases this may cast upon a Government official a serious responsibility which ought not to rest upon him. For instance, at Wellington, the "moderate" party, or, as the other side call them, the " publican" party, got in five of their candidates, while the temperance party have three seats. There is a mandate for reduction, but according to the opinion of the committee, the reduction may be one or it may amount to thirteen. If a 44 moderate" member is absent, the numbers will be equal, and the whole responsibility of closing one hotel or thirteen will rest on the Resident Magistrate. It is not right that a Government officer, who has not been a candidate, and who holds a judicial position, should take such a responsibility. We presume that in such a case he would vote for the smaller reduction, so that things should remain as nearly as possible what they are. In next sessiou, the struggle will probably be between a short measure introduced by the Government effecting the necessary amendments, so as to make the Act work more smoothly, and a Bill such as the Direct Veto Bill brought in last session by Sir Robert Stout.