ELECTION PETITION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17008, 15 April 1926, Page 7

ELECTION PETITION.

• WHO SHOULD PAY COSTS? MR. J. McCOMBS ’ VIEWS, (Special to the Herald.) . CHRISTCHURCH, this day. - Mr. ,T. McCombs, M.P., who was invited to-day to comment on the statements of. Messrs. O’Regan and Lyons in, rc'gard to the Lyttelton election petition l ,, said that he did not propose •to Hiscuss his own expenses nor the heavy expenses- in which the .Labor Party had been involved in connection with the Westland petition. “My own view,’’ lie said, Mis that where it is proved that the petition is not frivolous or where .it ih proved that the'fault lies with a Government Department or an'official the Election Court, should have power to award costs against the Crown. Had reasonable care been exercised by the Registrar and had tip) requirements of the law been carried puji.;.in„tho matter, of enroll nig" electors there would have been no necessity for an election petition because, ’apart, altogether from the question of crosses or seamen’s votes being allowed, there was a majority of valid- votes in my favor. Persons wore enrolled on the Lyttelton roll who on their enrolment cards gave addresses which were outside the .Lyttelton- electorate and- in--some- instances the signatures jye.ro, witnessed by electors- wno-'yv’orb 'not. btE'-the Lyttelton roll. ' Mr. Lybns was-in no way responsible for the carelessness and i.egligorice. of tile enrolling officer, or for tljo-illegal actions, of some of his supporters. .; . 1 ' ./' i “It does seem hard, therefore, that: those who wore not responsible for the difficulty should be mulcted in heavy costs because of the negligence and illegal action of other people. The fact that the parties supporting Mr. Lyons will have no difficulty in finding the money does not affect the injustice. .Some of'-Mr. Lyons’ supporters who voted illegally were not slow in claiming witnesses’ expenses and these had to bo included in my costs against Mr. Lyons. In regard to the Westland petition, certain declarations were lost and there wore other informalities and the petition was, therefore, not, frivolous. If Parliament pays the costs of, the Lyttelton petition, as I certainly think it ought to do, it should also pay the costs of the Westland petition.”