WAIKAWA VALLEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 31

WAIKAWA VALLEY.

I December 16. — After a long spell of the worst growing weather that has ever been experienced in this district, wo hare had about ten day& or so of really grand weather for bringing on crop 3 and grass, and a. wonderful difference these iew days have made. But, alas! it has been ■ tco good to last, and it is once more cold and \ we* has set in — so -wet that little can be done towards getting ia the- general crop of tunlips. Election. — I understand that all those connected with the local polling booth have received peremptory instructions to appear before the S.M. at Gore, where I suppose they j will be required to tell the truth, etc., about j the alleged irregularities in connection with ■ the conduct- of the poll at the junction of the Waikawa Valley and Fortrose roads, called by the returning officer Waikawa Valley. For some reason or none the R» O. decided not to give us a polling booth here this time, apparently thinking it is quite an easy matter * for women of all ages to travel any number 1 of miles on a wet and stormy day. Of course . the women, or, for that matter, the men either, ■ are not entitled- to the same consideration as ■ their sisters in Gore, for instance. Anyhow, I it will be a long time before the action of the leturning officer in taking away an old-estab-1 lished polling booth is either forgotten or forgiven. It is easy to supply many reasons why the schoolhouse is Hie most suitable place, but I hard to find any in favour of the private house v;here the poll was supposed to <bs held.