THE LICENSING ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8725, 22 February 1894, Page 6

THE LICENSING ELECTIONS.

In the last Gazette is inserted a notice that certain local bodies are appointed to administer the Alcoholic Liquors Act in their respective districts and conduct the elections. By. the same mail bringing down the Gazette a circular letter was received by the Returning Officers for the last general election advising chem of the appointment of the local body which had been authorised to administer the Act in their district, and consenting to the Returning Officer acting as such and granting the use of the screens, stamps and other articles used' in connection with elections. From the tone of the circular it would appear the "Government has not therefore appointed the Returning Officers for the licensing elections, but that the local bodies will appoint them. This it seems almost necessary should be done in some districts where' tbe expenses of many polling places and other larger expenses equal to holding a General Assembly election would be a most serious tax on the income to the local bodies for licenses. In some of the districts the fees for licenses would not pay a third of the cost of such *n expensive way of conducting elections. It appears tbe most reasonable way of settling the polling places is for the administrative body to communicate with the respective local bodies within its district to settle on an adequate number of polling booths, and the most economical way of holding the poll. We have as yet no information as to the full cost of the General Assembly elections in each district, but there is plenty of evidence that they were very expensively carried out.