ELECTION PETITION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16986, 9 March 1923, Page 9

ELECTION PETITION.

A QUESTION OF DRINK. <Pun Press Association.) I’AU RANG A. March 8. The evidence in. connection with the election petition against the return of Sir Maui Pomarc was continued yesterday. Regarding the chare© that natives were supplied with liquor during Sir Maui Pomaw's meeting at Muir’s gold mine, near To- Puke, Tawhiwi Ngata.i. stated that ho remembered the meeting. When he went into the kitchen of Muir's house about twenty men were there. He was invited to have a drink, and had a whisky neat. A few minutelater a meeting was held outside. After the speeches more whisky was supplied, .and then To it©. who was not sober, made a speech and said that nil present voVild support Pomare. As Pomarc left the natives danced a ha-ka, but. speaking for himself, the witness said he danced a.s the result of feeling happy from the whisky, and not in honour of Pomare. 0 Regarding the charge of drinking in the Star Hotel at Tauranga on the day of the election. Tawhiwhi Ngatai said that lie came in a motor-car, and after voting he and others purchased clriuks at the Star Hotel. He had several during the day. Ho tried other hotels, but failed. A native woman testified that she saw three Alaori men coming cut of the Star Hotel, and talked with two of them, who, apparently, had been drink - Further evidence was adduced regarding bottles of boor or stout taken to h house at Matapihi and there consuni- j ©cl. One native made a speech at Mata pi hi calling upon the few present to * vote for Pom are, and asked hie. hear- ' ers: “if you could get a ten horse- j power and a three at the same, price j which would you sooner have?” Further evidence was given support-; ing the charge that bottled beer had ■ been supplied to a Native at ATatapihi I and .Mr Myers called witnesses in re- j buttal. One witness. Ivolii Tirukiwaho, swoix \ that with one Pou he got two bottles of stout from a drunken pakeha on Tauranga beach and took them across : to the pa. He was severely cross-examined bv ' All* Skerrett as to" whether it was no', a fact that he purchased the stout himself in in hotel at Tauranga. This he denied. Regarding the general charges of irregularities in polling-booths, Parao. ,t satire woman living at Ratana, gave evidence that there was no booth at Ratana, so she voted at Turakina ; Huka. a Native who was assisting in the booth, asked her to vote for Tua-j ■vhakaririka. but she said she would ; vote for Ratana. Kahuriki Eruera. another Native ; woman from Ratana, gave evidence * that about 120 Natives were living i (here and all had to vote at Turakina. ! the nearest booth, which was three miles distant. After the deputy returning officer asked her the usual questions. Iluka, an assistant in the booth, when he heard she was voting for Ratana. asked her in Alaori why she did not vote for Pomare. She got angry and replied in English that she was voting for Ratana. the winner. It was disclosed during cross-exam-ination that Ratana received 120 vote* at Turakina. Pomare 4. and the ot tor two candidates none. The evidence of the proprietor and barman of the Star .Hotel was to the effect that no Natives were supplied with liquor in the. hotel on polling day. Tf Natives swore they received it it was false. AJr Alyers applied to have clause four regarding supplying a bottle of beer to one Turikia. and clause six regarding treating at the .Star Hotel, struck out. but the Bench ruled that as counsel for the petitioner had not intimated that evidence on these charges was exhausted they could not be struck out at. the present stage.