MAORI ELECTION.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 521, 2 August 1932, Page 8

MAORI ELECTION.

All Results To-morrow by Telegraph. FIVE CANDIDATES IN FIELD. The election for the Southern Maori seat will be held to-morrow, with five candidates in the field. Complete arrangements have now been made, and it. is expected that the result of the election will be known in Christchurch by 5.30 to-morrow evening. Mr J. R. Sansom, the Returning Officer, has the use of a room in the P. and T. Building in Hereford Street, and will receive all results there by telegraph as soon as the various booths finish their first count.

Five candidates will go to the poll as follows:

Eruera Tihema Tirikatene (Jim Tregerthen), of Ratana Pa, engineer (Independent).

Joseph Beaton, of Pahia, Southland farmer Coalition).

Peter MacDonald, of Endeavour Inlet,' Picton (Independent). Tame Kaiporohu Bragg, of Half Moon Bay, Stewart Island, storekeeper (Independent Reform).

William Teihoka Parata, of Puketcraki, farmer (Official Coalition). Seven candidates originally announced their intention of standing, but of these the nomination of Mr Ila'i Wi Katene, the Labour candidate, was not accepted, on the grounds of his European qualifications, and Mr W. Mihaka, an Independent Coalition candidate, withdrew.

Polling will take place from nine until four o’clock to-morrow. Various regulations control the qualifications of

electors, most of them already well known to Natives. Briefly, the defini tion of a Maori is “an aboriginal of New Zealand,” but for the purposes of the election, half-castes and those of fuller Native blood and their descendants by Natives are eligible. Halfcastes are entitled to vote either as a European or a Native, but the use of one qualification automatically eliminates the other.

All electors must be given “ reasonable opportunity ” to vote by their employers without loss of wages. The reasonable time is limited to one hour. A further regulation prohibits the sale of intoxicating liquor on licensed premises to Natives between the hours of noon and seven o’clock of the day of the poll. _____________________