548 THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. [No. 13

67. The officer to whom any formal complaint is made shall furnish the member complained of with a copy of the complaint, obtain his explanation, and shall forthwith forward the same to the General Manager, through the proper departmental channels, and the General Manager shall investigate and dispose of the same in such manner as he deems equitable.
68. If in the opinion of the General Manager any charge is of so serious a nature as to require a formal inquiry, he may direct such inquiry to be held by two or more persons.
69. At all such inquiries evidence must be taken on oath, or, if the member so desires, on affirmation, reduced to writing, and signed by the witnesses in the presence of the accused, who may question the witnesses, and make any written statement.
70. The report on such inquiries, with evidence, shall be forwarded to the General Manager.
71. Whenever any member is punished he must be informed in writing by the District Officer of the punishment inflicted, and the precise nature of the offence for which he is punished.
72. Offences may be punished by caution, reprimand, fine, suspension, reduction in rank or pay, or dismissal.

Appeal.

73. For the conduct of elections of the Appeal Boards the following provisions shall apply :—
    (1.) There shall be prepared by the General Manager and retained at the Head Office in Wellington ten separate alphabetical voting-lists, to wit,—
    (a.) One of all members of the First Division resident in the North Island ;
    (b.) One of all members of the Second Division (Traffic and Stores Branches) resident in the North Island ;
    (c.) One of all members of the Second Division Workshops Branch (Locomotive and Maintenance) resident in the North Island ;
    (d.) One of all members of the Second Division Locomotive-running Branch resident in the North Island ;
    (e.) One of all members of the Second Division Maintenance Branch (exclusive of workshops) resident in the North Island ;
    (f.) One of all members of the First Division resident in the Middle Island ;
    (g.) One of all members of the Second Division (Traffic and Stores Branches) resident in the Middle Island ;
    (h.) One of all members of the Second Division Workshops Branch (Locomotive and Maintenance) resident in the Middle Island ;
    (i.) One of all members of the Second Division Locomotive-running Branch resident in the Middle Island ;
    (j.) One of all members of the Second Division Maintenance Branch (exclusive of workshops) resident in the Middle Island ;
    and all such lists may be inspected by members at all reasonable times.
    (2.) If any member wishes to take any objection to any list, particulars of such objection must be communicated through his immediate superior officer to the General Manager, Wellington, who shall decide the same, and whose decision shall be final.
    (3.) No objection shall be entertained unless it reaches the General Manager not later than the third day before the lists are closed. The lists shall be closed for the purposes of each election on the forty-second day before such election, and shall continue closed until the election is completed.
    (4.) Ordinary elections shall be held on the first Monday in March in every third year, calculated from March, 1905.
    (5.) Special elections shall be held on dates to be fixed by the General Manager, being in no case later than three months after the vacancy occurs, and he shall give to all members concerned not less than two months’ previous notice of the date so fixed.
    (6.) Nominations shall be made in writing, by not less than three members in the same list as the candidate, and shall be indorsed with the nominee’s consent in the event of his being willing to become a candidate, and must reach the Returning Officer at Wellington not later than the twenty-eighth day before the election. Any nomination which fails to duly comply with this subclause shall be void.
    (7.) All members registered in the respective lists shall be entitled to vote for one duly nominated member of their own division, branch, and Island, to be a member of the Appeal Board for such Island.
    (8.) Should only one member be nominated for one elective seat on either Board, that member shall be declared to be duly elected.
    (9.) Should there be more than one member nominated for any one seat on either Board, a ballot shall be taken.
    (10.) The Returning Officer for the election shall be the Chief Clerk to the General Manager, Wellington, or other person for the time being performing the duties of such Chief Clerk. The General Manager shall appoint two scrutineers for each election, one from each division.
    (11.) As soon as possible after the date for receiving nominations is past the Returning Officer shall cause ballot-papers, in the form or to the effect following, to be printed and supplied to every member :—

ELECTION of a Member of Division to act as the Representative of on the Board of Appeal for the Island constituted under “The Government Railways Department Classification Act, 1901.”

Candidates for election :—
JONES, JOHN, Porter, Remuera.
ROBINSON, GEORGE, Guard, Auckland.
SMITH, WILLIAM, Shunter, Frankton.

Directions.—The voter can only vote for one candidate. The voter is to strike out with pen and ink or pencil the name of every candidate for whom he does not intend to vote. The voter must take care not to leave uncancelled the names of more than one candidate, or this paper will be invalid. The gummed corner containing the voter’s number should be gummed down, and the ballot-paper forthwith transmitted to the Returning Officer on or before [Here insert date].
(12.) The voter’s name must not be written on the voting-paper.
(13.) The ballot-paper shall contain a list of all the persons validly nominated in the division or Branch and for the Island to which the voter to whom it is sent belongs (and of no other persons), arranged alphabetically in the order of their surnames. Each paper shall have a number corresponding with that on the list. The number shall be inserted in the left-hand bottom corner of the paper before being sent out by the Returning Officer.
(14.) The ballot-paper will be sent to each member whose name appears on the list, and each member shall, immediately on receiving the ballot-paper, sign the receipt-form provided for the purpose.
(15.) All ballot-papers shall be transmitted by post or otherwise to the Returning Officer at Wellington, in envelopes which will be provided for the purpose, and must reach him not later than the ordinary course of post computed from the day after the polling-day.
(16.) No member shall in any case be compelled to record his vote, and no member shall be canvassed for votes, nor shall any candidate or other person acting on behalf or in the interest of any candidate attempt to influence voters by circular or otherwise. Any breach of this regulation shall be met by the disqualification of the candidate in whose interest the canvass is made, unless such candidate proves that he did not instigate or in any way approve of or countenance such canvass.
(17.) In the event of the candidate on whose behalf any such canvass has been made being elected, his election shall be declared void, and a special election shall ensue in accordance with subclause (5) of clause 73, for which the lists prepared for the original election shall be deemed to be the list of voters for the special election.
(18.) Any candidate who is disqualified under subclause (16) shall be debarred from seeking re-election at the ensuing special election.
(19.) Immediately after the last day fixed for the receipt at Wellington of ballot-papers, the Returning Officer shall, in the presence of the scrutineers, proceed to ascertain the total number of votes recorded for each candidate ; and the Returning Officer shall cause the result to be published in an official circular, and shall declare the candidates obtaining the majority of votes in the respective divisions or branches in the respective Islands duly elected. The voting-papers shall, after being counted, be enclosed in a sealed packet, and be retained by the Returning Officer. They shall not be opened unless a scrutiny be demanded, when such scrutiny shall be conducted by the Returning Officer and the two scrutineers. The papers shall remain in the Returning Officer’s custody for two months, and will then be destroyed. If a scrutiny be demanded, application therefor must be made in writing to the Returning Officer by not less than seven voters within fourteen days after the publication of the results aforesaid.
(20.) Whenever there is an equality of votes at the election, and the addition of one vote will entitle any of the