RECOUNT MAY BE DEMANDED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17698, 19 November 1925, Page 7

RECOUNT MAY BE DEMANDED.

LABOUR EXECUTIVE TO CONSIDER MATER. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON. November 19. The position of the Labour candidates in the Lyttelton and Westland seats will be considered at a meeting of the National Executive of the Labour Party to-morrow morning, wlien in all probability it will be decided to demand a Magisterial recount in both cases. MR COATES WILL NOT MAKE ANY COMMENT* Per Press Association. DUNEDIN. November 19. When asked this morning to comment on the Lyttelton and Westland elections, Mr Coates said: “T suppose there are recounts and so on still to come. At least there probably will be. I prefer to say nothing matter at. the present stage.” SIR F- LANG’S VIEW Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, November 19. While he had no recollection of a tie having previously occurred in a Parliamentary election, Sir Frederick Lang quoted the rule in the House that when voting was even the Speaker gave his vote to maintain the existing order; in other words, be voted that things should remain as they were, and that there should he no change. In the case of Lyttelton and Westland, if this precedent applied, the returning officers’ vote would be cast so that there would be no change- Thus his vote would go in favour of the retiring members, Mr M'Combs in Lyttleton and Mr O'Brien in Westland. Of course, in the case of Westland, Mr Seddon was an ex-member, who had represented the constituency for longer than Mr O'Brien, and that, might have influenced the returning officer, hut in the case of Lyttelton the Parliamentary procedure was clearly in favour of the casting vote going in favour of Mr M'Combs. When a tie occurred in a local body election, it was a well-established custom for the returning officer to give his casting vote in favour of the retiring member. Jt was assumed that where one of those concerned was the retiring member, the electorate bad not voted for a. change. NO DIRECTION FOR CASTING VOTE. (Special to the “ Star.”) WELLINGTON, November 19. It is officially ascertained that the Returning Officers have no direction to follow in giving their casting vote, in case of a tie. The Act is mandatory that a casting vote shall be exercised, but it leaves the decision to.the Returning Officer. *