HEAVY POLLING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16801, 14 November 1928, Page 8

HEAVY POLLING

STEADY VOTING WEATHER NO BARRIER Election day in Gisborne broke wet mid rathor cold, and those who lintl interest in trying tit estimate the size of Hie poll at successive elections were prepared to lind tlie public baekwaul in I lie matter uf voting, However, there \\ ;!S a steady si ream of voters passing through the town booths from 9 o'clock, at which time the polling places were opened, right through the. day. During (lie luncheon hours hundreds of business people took the opportunity to record their votes, and the deputy returning officers at (he booths near the business area had an extremely busy lime, with the exception of those, at the lily Hall, which booth is not nearly so well known as the longer established places at the .Masonic Hall. Here the si aft' waited vainly, pencils sharpened and papers carefully sorted, lor (lie rush that would not come until fairly late in Iho dav.

The. weather proved no real barrier to the electors, and the indications at noon were that the poll would be- a heavy one. The Garrison Hall booths had polled as heavily, up to midday, as they had during the whole of last, election day, and there' was still the afternoon rush of the householders at Whataupoko to come. On Kaiti and in the other suburbs, similar or nearly similar conditions prevailed, and voters who found too great a congestion at one polling place were touring the vari ous suburban phiees with; a view to getting their votes recorded and dis-

posed of. The organisations supporting the respective candidates were, very busy all day in getting voters to the polls, and there was no occasion for any resident to< walk far through the rain to cast his or her vdte. Each of the committees had the district, marked off into blocks, and arrangements made to see that all the voters in the respective blocks, or at least .those suspected of having leanings towards their respective* candidates, were conveyed to the polling places. These committees carefully avoided any suggestion of influence, of course, and the voters were delivered' to the polling places in a most circumspect manner, though it is unlikely that any voter thus carried could have been ignorant of the source of the assistance rendered.

Xo complaints wine received by the returning oflieer for the district, Mr. I*. Fulton, concerning any misbehavior about the polling, places, and everything appeared to be proceeding in a most orderly manner. The weather throughout the electorate was bad, but there was no prospect of any large number of voters being unable to cast their voles on this account. Tn Ibis respect., the Gisborne electorate was far less fortunate than must, of the other electorates in the. country, fine weather prevailing almost everywhere else, including the township' of Ojpotiki.

POLLING ELSEWHERE SURPRISES ANTICIPATED j( (Pes' Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Tlie went her is fine for polling day and voting has been steady all morning, showing every indication of a record poll, particularly in Christ-church North. where then- is a keen three-cornered contest. Some surprises are expected. RESTORATION ISSUE (Per Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, this day. The weather is line I ut overcast for the election. Heavy polling is anticipated, especially in Jnvercargill,'wheio the restoration issue is exacting keen interest. Sir Joseph Ward's return is regarded as certain. Mr. tie hi J'erelle's prospects of recapturing Awarun are considered to be good, anil a close contest is expected for Wallace between Mr. Adam Hamilton. Reform, and Mr. W. E. Taylor, United: CLOSE AUCKLAND CONTESTS (Per Pivss Association.) AUCKLAND, tins day. There is beautiful weather for polling, and a record vote is expected. Very keen interest, is being shown in (lie Auckland East, Eden, Grey Lynn, and Auckland Suburbs contests, all of which aie expected! to be close.