BAY OF ISLANDS SEAT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20586, 8 December 1928, Page 10

BAY OF ISLANDS SEAT.

MR ALLEN BELL’S PROPOSAL A BjY-ELECTION SUGGESTED. > (SreciAL 10 Dan* Timm.) AUCKLAND. December 7. '■ While declining to lodge 4® petition against the return of Mr H. M. Hush- 1 worth for the Bay of Islands Set, Mr Allen Bell suggests that his successful opponent should resign and contest a by*' election. He ’would ‘also be: agreeable ta have; a rechanfc by tVo . Supreme Court 1 judges, ■ I . ~ on being interviewed; 'stated’, that he . bed not. taken any. Whaf> ever to upset the Bay of Islands election: Such a course was regarded ■ by. him as : unsportsmanlike, more especially 1 As the ■■■■ unfortunate muddle had not been caused' hia opponent, but .who by -law would be compelled to pay the costa amounting l ' piobably to several hundreds of pbuids. Speaking personally, he ' had no wish to r^P li * sen i' the Bay of Islands on the vote of the returning officer, or on the result of a petition.to upset the election which, he claimed, could be done on at least a “ doren grounds. He felt, that his ‘representation of the electorate was ■ not'.in any ■ way reflected in the recent vote cast,'ln fact, when news reached,him thatVHe had been elected by one vote he ’ had immediately, written’ to the Prime Hft" l '"- t®* e®k{ng permission to resign the seat and bring t on a by-election, whichstripped of the various side issues,'Would reflect; the . opinion of. his-constituents with regard to his personal work, - So far 'ashe was concerned, the whole matter was now left intheibands of'his--friends and supporters, whom he had informed that hoTWould not be,; a . party either directly or indirectly to upsetting V the election,. But that he had no objection whatever to .an investigation of the votes by. two Supreme Court judges,., as : provided .by law- This .would give .his opponent, as well as himself, a fair sport--1®? chance. If. under; the unfortunate conditions that had. arisen, Mr Ruphwortb was prepared to resign and again contest the seat he would bo.more than pleased.