ECHO OF ELECTION.

Wairarapa Age, 22 July 1920, Page 5

ECHO OF ELECTION.

AN INTERESTING CASE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) PAHIATUA, Last Night. An interesting case, which was an echo of the general election campaign, was heard before Mr S. L. P. Free, S.M., at the Courthouse this morning, when Colin Maedonald, editor and publisher of the Pahiatua Herald, was charged upon the information of Ilobert lieatson 'Ross, the Liberal candidate at the election, that on December 11th, 1S)1!), he published in the Pallia tun Herald an untrue statement, defamatory of Mr Ross, and calculated, to influence the votes of the electors, as follows: —"The plain facts of the case are that when Mr Ross first decided to contest the seat, ho wrote to the Herald announcing the fact, and adding that this time he was standing as an Independent." The case centred round the alleged letter which Mr Ross wrote to the Herald, and which had since been lost. Mr Macdonald produced a witness who had read the letter, and who remembered the words "this time as an Independent." His Worship dismissed tho information, with costs against the plaintiff. Mr Lyon, of Woodville, appeared for Ross, and Mr Tinney, of Paluatua, for Maedonald. The charge was brought under section 158 of tho Legislature Act.