LOCAL OPTION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10828, 19 December 1902, Page 2

LOCAL OPTION.

THE DUNEDIN INQUIEY.

(Per United Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, December 18.

- x»uj.^jc/ifxiN, jjeceinDjr xo. The inquiry asked for by petition to have the recent locaL optibn poll in Dunedin, at which, reduction was carried, declared void 'on the ground of various irregularities, came before Mr E. Hi Carew, S.M. The 'case w9s only formally opened to comply, with the law by- calling the .Chief Returning Officer. The S.M. mentioned the form, in which the petition 'was drawn -up, and Mr Sim, who, with ' Mr Elmslie, appeared for the petitioners, said evidence would be given that' the petition was drawn up and signed before Mr Sievwrigfht, J.P. The case was then adjourned to January 20. , It is freely complained bjj ths "Trade" in Dunedin • that six or sevpn of their number not only voted reduction, but induced their dependents to do the same with the intention of wiping 'out some of their rivals. . . The Tapanui Courier says the lawyers will have good pickings ont, of the' attempts on the part of hotelkeepers to try and upset the local option poll, as tui>ru will be no lack of money "behind tho "trade.", . :• J The Lyttelton Times is' another paper which warns the liquor trade not to "kick against the pricks." It says:, 'iJnless in the case oi a grave irregularity, whichmay, with some show of reason, bn urged to< have materially affected a poll, no ad-

1 "*~, *" vantage can be gained by attempting to reverse the people's decision.

The mystery surrounding the disappcai--ance of the local option voting papers from the Broad Bay booth in the Chalmers electorate remains unsolved. No one apparently knows where they are. The deputy-returning officer ' at one of the booths in the Mataura electorate is said to have negligently the ballotpapers that wer<j. used, for the pwrposp of the parliamentary election And the local option papers in one parcel and 'sealed them up. Ttie parcel has been forwarded to the ClerPofthe'Hou'sVof HDpresenta-" tives in Welilngtoh. That official is the proper custodian of the parcels of ballot-, papers used at the parliamentary elections throughout the colony. By law heis required to retain them unopened, unless ho is commanded- to fho contrary bjr a' competent court or by Parliament, and, after the expiration ot a year, ttiuy arc to bo burnt, still without being "opelicd. No one has any authority to break the seals. Consecpently, thero is -no "legal procesa by winch local ojition papers, improperly scaled up in a parcel of electoral papers, can be recoVered. — O.D. Times. The Prohibitionist says: — From several places we get grave reports of tin- utmost, carelcsßiioss in regard v to local option papers.. They are in some instances "scaled" by being wrapped in a gummed paper across tho joint of which thiT officials sian ' their names. This is obviously no pro- ! tection. In one southern electorate they lay opon in an office which was left for some lime at midnight with uoov open and both the deputies' reports and packages of ballot paporson the table. Packages lay upon a table in .a public building tw,o days after .the poll. no.

[ provision waa jnado to guard aguinst destruction' by lire. There are other grave indications of neglect, and we see no cure for it but a lav.- -that, in the event of the loss of destruction of ballot papers prior to tlio official declaration of the poll, a new* poll shall be taken, the expense of •which shall be borne by the returning officer. The Melbourne Age writes: — As a re suit of the recent licensing poll in New Zealand, it is beingr predicted in coir.c 2narters thai ihe statistics of arrivals in ustralin -will soon show a heavy increase. , SJ& jnany, people hava .d.ep,].ived of .the opportunity of getting anytTii'ng Dvt v £he ! mildest bevora£O3, that they are even said jio-'be -turning their' attonticgt to the. majI jido, '^whejro' there is not inu^( water, 1 , ft, is I "irue, but where other liquids,.' ctfn still be jiail |it raqtlerfate rates. t Mi gppaallinof^xr • pe'ridiiiee has happened 'to\ thosp" peoplts whose consistent and unquenchable thiret gave a dubious kind <of .natoriety to the district of Ashbnrton. ' Afr, opife limp * you could tell an Asbburton raan 6imply by listening to his views on local option. Not long ago a meeting was held in i> remote part of New Zealand to • protest •against' the tactics of, thc^ Prohibition narty. "Stop," sir," ' said the grim-ryed doorkeeper, accosting a brown-faced man. who had ridden ,up on horseback; "heforo you can come in , here you must satisfy "<» that yau are not a Prohibitionist." "That!s all right," said tb> individual nddresßed.' "I come from Ashbnrton." And -the door flew open to let him in. Now, however, the times have changed, the teetotal brig&de has grown exceedingly, and the faithful few in the district of Ashb'urton have awakened to find themselves the occupants of a drinkless, and,emphati'cally jspir^ness, land. '•,>•* 3.