LICENSING COMMITTEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14940, 13 March 1912, Page 8

LICENSING COMMITTEES.

CONTESTED ELECTIONS. ■ i ■ INTEREST NOT KEEN. The Licensing Committee elections took place yesterday in oil districts where the seats were contested. There were contests in the Auckland City district, and in Parnell, but no great interest was taken in the contests, there being no issue of a contentious nature placed beforo the electors. The hotels were closed at noon, and remained closed in accordance with the licensing law until the poll closed at seven p.m. Auckland City. For Auckland City, the old committee, consisting of Messrs. J. J- Holland, L. J. BagnaU, J. M. Mennie, F. W. King, and W. C. Somers, were re-elected, the only other candidate, Mr. Richardson, boing defeated. Following is the result of the voting, 1385 voters having \ exercised their privilege — .Votes, Holland *. ... -. 981. Bagnall - 960 Meiinio ... 970 King 951 Somers ... 925 Richardson • ... 527 Parnell. There were six candidates for the five seats on the Parnell Committee, Mr. G. E. Davis being defeated. Following is the result of the voting: Votes. I. Hill .- ... .- 292 G. W. Basley 290 W. Thomas 280 A. Clements 278 W. W. Whvman 230 G. E. Davis' ... 202 Gisborne. Great interest was taken in the Gisborne licensing election. The result of the poll was as follows: — 755; Hepburn, 723 ,• Somervell, 654; Darton," 577; McLeod, 555. All were members of the previous committee. Messrs. Somervell, parton, and McLeod stood as prohibition candidates. The other candidates were : Coleman (Labour), 397; Hall (Labour), 336; Boere (Independent), 285. Returns from outlying booths have still to come, but they cannot affect the result

Christchurch. For tho Christchurch Licensing Committee lour temperance ticket candidates were returned, and one Independent. A total of 870 informal votes were cast, duo to too many names being left in. At Riccarton, where the contest was the keenest, owing to the intention of tho temperance party to veto conditional | licenses . in connection with races, trots, i and agricultural shows, tho moderate party was successful by an overwhelming majority. Dunedin. , ■ ■: ■"■;.■'' ■ The licensing committee elections in Dunedin City and Dune Jin South did not attract a great deal of attention. In Dunedin City only about 8900 people out of some 29,000 on the roll exercised their votes. Candidates were nominated by both temperance and moderate parties, and the following were elected :—\V. Barnett, W. Belcher, T. J. Sullivan (moderate), and G. Calder and A. H. Burton (temperance). In Dunedin South the following were elected Marlow, Cuttle, Burk (moderate), Fillis and Wright (temperance). Keen Contest in Wellington South. The unusual situation of a licensing committee being required in a no-licenso electorate was created in Wellington Suburbs by the changed electoral boundary bringing two hotels, one at Porirua, and another at Pahautamu. In the" ordinary course of the law these houses must disappear in July, but the New Zealand Alliance, as the result of agitation to secure their retention, contested the election of the licensing committee, winning all the seats with its nominees. The result was as follows:—W. Cook, 524; H. N. McLeod ? 523.: Lily M. Atkinson, 507; C. Cathie, 492. The committee will probable hold but one meeting, as the licenses lapse on June 30.