ELECTION PROTEST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21493, 17 May 1933, Page 13

ELECTION PROTEST

INQUIRY TO BE SOUGHT LABOUR CANDIDATES' STATUS ENROLMENTS CHALLENGED [by telegraph OWN correspondent] CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday A full inquiry by the Christchurch City Council into the qualifications of four candidates at the recent municipal elections to be on the district electors' roll is to be sought by the Christchurch Citizens' Association. The candidates are Miss Mabel Howard, Mr. E. J. Howard, M.P., the Rev. J. K. Archer, and Mr. G. T. Thurston. All four were nominated by the Labour Party. Miss Howard and Messrs. Thurston and Archer secured election to the City Council and Mr. Howard was elected to the Harbour Board. The association's decision was the outcome of a special meeting to consider the position arising from the inability of the returning officer to take action upon its earlier protest against the election of Miss Howard and Mr. Howard. An inquiry by the council is being sought under section 10 of the Municipal Corporations Act, and if the association is not satisfied with the council's decision it has power to appeal to a magistrate. Miss Howard was entered upon the supplementary district electors' roll witli residential qualification in her own right at 194 Gloucester Street (the Trades Hall). The association maintains that she was not entitled to this residential qualification and that the Labour representation committee being not on the roll itself was not entitled to nominate her as its representative. Mr. Howard was enrolled as having residential qualification in his own right at 19 Travers Street, but it is contended by the association that he was not entitled to this qualification, since his residence is elsewhere outside the city area.

Since tho association's protest was made both Miss Howard and Mr. Howard have secured qualifications as ratepayers and have applied for and been granted new enrolments.

Mr. Archer is on the roll as a ratepayer in his own right at 118 Tennyson Street, and was nominated by the Sydenham Baptist Church Trust. This qualification is being challenged, as Mr. Archer now lives outside the city. Mr. Thurston is entered with qualification of an occupier in his own right at 194 Gloucester Street (the Trades Hall). He lives outside the city and his qualification to bo listed as an occupier at the Trades Hall is being questioned. If the association's protest is sustained important and embarrassing results may follow. The election was under tho proportional representation system and the whole count would have to be amended. It might even be held that the whole election must be voided and a new election held, as it may with some reason be claimed that no one can tell what would have been the effect of the absence of these names from the ballot papers.