WESTERN MAORI DISTRICT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13900, 11 May 1909, Page 6

WESTERN MAORI DISTRICT.

AN ELECTION PETITION

Per Press Association

HAMILTON, Mar 10. Pepene Eketone petition against Henare Kaihau's election for the \\ estern Maori electorate , was heard this afternoon before Judges Edwards and Mr F. Earle appeared on behalf of the petitioner, Mr C. J. Parr for the respondent, and Mr S. Warbnck for Mr Grace, returning officer, whom their Honours ruled was a respondent as charges were made against him throughout the whole of the election. Mr Earle, in opening the case, said that the chief grounds of the petition were that the polling places had not been published in Maori m the "Gazette" on eight different days prior to the day of polling; that voting papers had not been issued to each elector; that no time or times for issuing such, papers bad been stated; that the places where the polling should Lave taken place were not used tor such purpose; that other places were used in substitution; that 110 voting papers were returned without the names of the candidates being filled m, the electors in many cases not being afforded an opportunity of filling tneni in He contended that these irregularities were flagrant breaches oi the legislature, and it could not be said that the election had been earned out according to the statute In more than one case the place at which pollin*should have taken place had boon changed to one distant «oino toilos, «»tl in one instance the poll actually took place on an open road, no house being DS Ju*d-e Edwards asked how much the election had cost, .and ». ™ fatedin reply than it ran into well oyer *.IWW. Mr Earle submitted that the Act had been infringed by allowing more than one Maori to be present m the booth Jt one time. If their Honours held that according to the common rule this election was invalid well and good but if ™ the other hand they held that the irregularities complained of were not Scient to destroy the election as a* Election, then it would be for the other die to show that the irregularities ££e rach as could not possibly have affected the result of the poll. . Counsel's opening address lasted all the afternoon, and the Court adjourned till 10 o'clock next morning.