ELECTION PETITIONS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 49, Issue 14874, 9 March 1923, Page 4

ELECTION PETITIONS.

WESTERN MAORI SEAT. ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) TAURANGA, Thursday. At the hearing to-day, regarding general charges of irregularities in polling booths, Parao, a native womau living at Ratana, said ’there was . booth Ratana, so she voted at TurJlt kina. Huka, a native, who was assisting in the booth, asked her to vote for; Tuwhakaririka, but she said she would vote for Ratana. Kahuriki Eruera, another native woman from Ratana, said that after the deputy returning officer had asked the usual questions, Huka, when he heard she was voting for Ratana, asked her in Maori why she didn’t vote for Pomare; she got angry and replied in English that she was voting for Ratana, ‘ * the winner. ’ ’ It was disclosed during cross examination that Ratana received 120 votes at Turakina, Pouiare four, and the other 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. If natives swore that they received it, it was false.

Mr Myers applied to have clause 4, re supplying a bottle of beer to one Irikia, and clause 6, re treating at tiSb Star Hotel, struck out, but the Bench ■ruled that as counsel for the petitioner Pad not intimated that the evidence on these charges could be expunged, they could not be struck out at the present stage, at any rate.

WAITOMO PETITION DROPPED. WELLINGTON, Thursday. Mr T. M. Wilford, Leader of the Opposition, stated to-night that the Lib-eral-Labour Party, after conferring with representatives in the Waitomo constituency, and those concerned with, the petition, decided not to proceed further with the petition lodged ion behalf of the late Mr Jennings against the return of Mr Rolleston for the Waitom® seat.