N.B.W. UPPER HOUSE

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18946, 16 May 1933, Page 5

N.B.W. UPPER HOUSE

MISTAKE IN THE COUNT.

1280 VOTES TRANSFERRED.

MR LANG’S ASPERSIONS,

United Press Assn. —Eiec. Tel. Copyright. (Received May 16, 9.30 a.m.)

SYDNEY, May 16

A re-check of the referendum votes in Botany disclosed the fact that about 1280 "No” votes had been wrongly credited to “ Yes.”

The figures for Botany on Sunday night were given as “Yes” 7620, “No" 11,740, but as a result of yesterday’s check the counts figures are “ Yes ” 6340, “No ” 13,034. The affirmative majority in the referendum now is 20,942. “ The whole ballot is under suspicion, because the Government went out of its way to prevent the presence of scrutineers," aaid Mr Lang (Leader of the Opposition) referring to the mistake at Botany. “ A similar mistake in eight of the 90 seats, if discovered, would turn the apparent ‘ Yes ' majority into a verdict against the Government. That similar mistakes, accidental or deliberate, have been made in more than eight electorates is very evident.” The Attorney-General, Mr H. E. Manning, replies: “There is no justification for the suggestion ( that a mistake of this sort might be general because of the absence of scrutineers. Mistakes of course are possible under any system, but the efficiency of the present system is demonstrated by the fact that this mistake was discovered in time and corrected. It is a proof of the sufficiency, not of the insufficiency, of the check.”