BURNT BALLOT PAPERS

Southland Times, Issue 25549, 18 December 1944, Page 4

BURNT BALLOT PAPERS

ACTION SUPPORTED BY MR DENHAM The burning of the servicemen’s general election ballot papers in the Middle East was mentioned by Mr W. M. C. Denham, M.P., in an address to the North Invercargill branch of the New Zealand Labour Party on Saturday evening. . ' Mr Denham stated that in his opinion the military authorities were quite right, and used common sense, in destroying the ballot papers in the Middle East. The official count was conducted under military authority and under the direction of 20 officers at a time when the army was on the move into Italy, and when great responsibility rested on the military leaders. They had something more important to think about than guarding and trying to find suitable storage for some two tons of election papers, said Mr Denham. In the circumstances, their action in destroying by fire, those ballot papers, was more than justified. The National Party’s objection was simply to try to score from a very trying and difficult situation.