VOTE SENSATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23995, 19 June 1941, Page 8

VOTE SENSATION

ELECTION INQUIRY

MERCER RIDING POLL RESULT REVERSED POLICE INVESTIGATION (0.C.) PUKEKOHE, Wednesday The Mercer Biding member of the Franklin County Council, Mr. John Dean, of Pokeno, was unseated as the outcome of a magisterial inquiry to-day into the poll on May 17, and his opponent, Mr. Kenneth Athol Murray, of Mangatawhiri, was declared elected. On the night of the poll Mr. Murray was shown as elected by a margin of 15 votes, the figures announced being: Mr. Murray, 181; Mr. Dean, 166. Itwas known that there were some informal votes, but the number was not published. The official count, which was made at the county office, Pukekohc, four days later, gave Mr. Dean the seat bv a margin of two votes, as fol-lows:--Mr. Dean, 173; Mr. Murray. 171; informal, 18. Mr. Dean, who was the retiring member, was accordingly declared re-elected. Sixteen Votes In Doubt A petition for inquiry was lodged by Mr. Murray and five other ratepayers of the riding, and the inquiry was condueted at the Pukekohe Courthouse by Mr. F. 11. Lovicn, S.M. Mr. F. W.i/. Milne appeared for the petitioners. Mr. M. H. Grierson appeared for the returning ollieer, Mr. A. P. Day, of Pukekohc, and for the deputyreturning officer for the Mangatawhiii booth, Mr. A. H .Jell's, of Mangatawhiri Mr. A. P. King represented Mr.

Dean. Mr. Milne explained that the crux of the whole matter lay in 16 votes cast at the Mangatawhiri booth. These had been allowed by Mr. Jeffs as being votes for Mr. Murray, without any doubt whatever, but Mr. Day had found them to be intormal. Mr. Jeffs said a blue crayon was provided for marking the voting papers. At the close of the poll he counted the votes. There were 57 for Mr. Murray and 20 for Mr. Dean. There were no informal votes.

Evidence of Interference

The 16 votes which Mr. Day disallowed as informal were then handed to Mr. Jeffs, who said they were not as he had last, seen them. r J hey had been altered with a pencil, but weie votes lie originally counted for M% Murray. Mr. .Day said that at the official count of t lie Mercer Riding votes lie found 10 of the vol's from the Mangatawhiri box marked in a way which led him to count them as informal, and his figures for this box were:—Mr. Murray, 41; Mr. Dean, 20; informal, 16. Kach of the informal votes had a cross after Mr. Murray s name and other marking. Mr. Day said he had reason to believe that some unauthorised person obtained access to the council meeting room after the votes had been received, but before they were counted by him. Mr. Grierson: Do you know of any way in which the papers could be tampered with apart from breaking and entering the county chambers? Mr. Day: I do not He added that an inspection did not reveal any evidence of breaking and entering. Man Found Under Table The caretaker and cleaner ot the building, Mr. W. C. Shelbourne, described finding a man under the table in the meeting room about 7.30 p m. He could not remember what night, btr it was just alter the election. Thinking the man might have been inadvertently locked in when the staff left for the night he did not regard the matter very seriously and let the man out through the front door. The man held his head down and did not say anything. He mentioned the matter a day or two afterwards to the girl in the pay room at the office. Mr Grierson said that, on learning

of this incident, Mr. Day immediately placed the matter in the hands of the police, who were now making an investigation The magistrate ruled that the voting at the Mangatawhiri booth was 57 for Mr. Murray and 20 i'or Mr. Dean, this giving Mr. Murray the seat by a majority of 15 votes He ordered the deposit of £lO lodged to validate the petition to lit,' returned to the petitioners, less 12s Od expenses.