ELECTION TACTICS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10957, 23 December 1911, Page 3

ELECTION TACTICS.

ALLEGED INTERFERENCE WITH VOTERS. (Per Press Association.) Auckland, December 21. Several young men were charged in the Police Court to-day with having interfered with voters at the Franklin road booth on election day. Mr End'ean appeared for the defendants, and intimated to the magistrate that he intended to raise the point that the proceedings were not well founded. The facts were that on election day at the Ponsonby booth various people were working in the interests of the Liberty League. They took the elector's -number "from the* roll and put it on the back of a card that was being distributed in the interests of the Liberty League. Mr Endean pointed out that the prosecution was laid under the Legislature Act and the Licensing Act. The former 'dealt only with the election of members of Parliament, and the provisions of the Licensing Act did not apply in these proceedings. Before proceedings could be taken under the Licensing Act it would have to be shown that the interference affected tne result of the poll, and the Minister's authority would have to be obtained to institute proceedings. Evidence as to the facts was taken in the case against one. of the defendants, who admitted distributing cards in the interests of the Liberty League, and the sub-inspector said it was not suggested that any attempt had been made to influence electors by word of mouth, or that the influence by means of the cards had anything to do with the election for members of Parliament. He remarked that it would be a dangerous thing if such actions as that objected to were allowed to pass unchecked, because if one side were to be permitted to adopt such tactics, the other side also would have to be permitted to do the same thing. This afternoon Mr Cutten, in giving his decision, said that the case was a matter of extreme public importance, and he had not the slightest doubt that the defendant's action was intended as an offence. "I don't see my way to inflict a fine," said his Worship. "But I certainly think the matter is one that should be taken to the Supreme Court." He added that he was not actually dismissing the case, but he did not think that it had come before him in the proper form He would therefore adjourn all the other cases pending until after the hearing of a possible appeal." In reply to his Worship, the subinspector said that an. appeal was highly probable.