VOTING PAPERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23162, 7 October 1938, Page 14

VOTING PAPERS

(CARE AFTER ELECTION HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY PRECAUTIONS FOR SAFETY RETURNING OFFICERS' DUTY A particularly heavy responsibility will rest with returning officers and others halving the custody of voting papers after the election on Saturday week in that they will have to ensure the safety of the papers over a longer period than usual before the official checking of rolls and the official count is begxin. Previously elections have been, held on week-days and checking has begun the next morning, but on this occasion no work following the preliminary count on Saturday night will bo done until Monday morning. Special instructions are issued to returning officers that they must take every precaution regarding the safety of the voting papers. In most metropolitan electorates it is possible for the returning officer to receive all or practically all of the voting papers from the various polling places after the preliminary count On the night of the poll, and they can therefore be locked in the one place for safekeeping. Where the papers cannot bo forwarded to the returning officer that night, as in the case of a number of inaccessible country polling places, the deputy-returning officer in charge of the polling place is instructed to hand them to the nearest postmaster, who must put them in a place of ' safety. They must be sent on to the returning officer for the electorate at tho earliest convenient time.

An Auckland returning officer said yesterday that, to his knowledge, no trouble had ever been experienced in the Dominion over the safeguarding of papers. As on earlier occasions, however, the strictest precautions would be taken at the approaching election and the voting papers would be deposited in the safest places available to the officers.

NOISY MEETING BARRAGE OF QUESTIONS MR. BARCLAY AT MANGAPAI THE CONTEST FOR MARSDEN [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] •WHANGAREI, Thursday A lively meeting greeted Mr. J. G. Barclay* M.P., Labour candidate for Marsden, at Mangapai last night. No sooner had the chairman, Mr. A. McGee, chairman of the Labour Representation Committee in the electorate,, introduced the speaker than questions were These were ruled out of order, but the persisted.

" Mr. Barclay has been called on to address the meeting," Baid the chairman. must a&k you to sit down." A Voice: We want an explanation of r promises made by the Labour Govern- . ment.

It was some minutes before Mr. Barclay could begin. Later in the evening, in appealing for order after a barrage of questions, the chairman said: "We don't want tiny one to try to break up this meeting."

A Voice: Mr. Lee took two and a-half hours last night to tell us "Socialise, socialise, socialise." Mr. Barclay mentioned the demand for Mr. J. A. Lee's latest book and a member of the audience commented: "We resent being termed convicts." At another stage the chairman, in calling an interjector to order, said that he would have him put out. A Voice: When Labour supporters make a, noise at meetings why are they not called to order ? ' , At the.,conclusion...of. the address a motion of no-confidence was put forward and this was followed by an amendment of confidence in the Labour Government, which was'.earried.

TWO ORDERLY MEETINGS y SUPPORT FOR MR. WALKER Two meetings were addressed Jast evening by. Maxwell S. Walker, National candidate for Auckland Suburbs, the first an open-air meeting at Woodward Road, Mount Albert," and the second at the Owairaka school. An orderly 1 ' crowd of about 70 gathered for the first meeting, 'and more than 100 were present at the school, where Mr. J. Tait presided. ; ' Mr. Walker outlined the policy of * the National Party, and emphasised the manner in .which returned soldiers had not been fairly treated by the present administration. He stated that ample provision would be made for them by the National Party. ; At questiop-time a man in the audience objected to Mr. - Walker r ntatement that compulsory unionism required a worker to join the Laboar Party before he could get a job. After some discussion, it was agreed that this was correct. A vote of thanks and confidence in the speaker was carried by acclamation. . f, ■ RAILWAY WORKSHOPS STAFF CONFIDENCE IN MR. OSBORNE ( A large meeting of employees of the railway workshops at Otahuhu was addressed yesterday by Mr. A. G. Osborne, M.P. for Manukau and Labour candidate for Onehunga. The following resolution was carried unanimously and. with acclamation:—"That this meeting, of 1600 employees expresses its entire appreciation of the splendid service rendered by Mr. Osborne during his short term in the House of Representatives. We further recommend all electors of Manukau to make strenuous endeav-! ours t<? increase his majority on this occasion and also emphasise our continued confidence in the Labour Government of which membership he is seeking re-election."

COMPULSORY UNIONISM / '7 ■ "There is only one issue before tho elector," said Mr. C. R. Dodd, National candidate for Auckland Central, at his meeting last night. ; A Voice: And that's Labour. Mr. Dodd: Yes, but proper Labour, not the socialist kind. I'm a worker myself but I will not agree to my • liberty being taken from me by those wnose only ambition is to grasp power. The first act of the Socialist Governf tnent, he said, was dictated by the union bosses. That was the introduction of compulsory unionism, which was designed to get money they would never have got tinder voluntary unionism.