NEW ZEALAND AND NO-LICENSE

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 7, 8 July 1909, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND AND NO-LICENSE

FOURTEEN YEARS' PROGRESS. Instructive statistics regarding the progress of the No-license movement in New Zealand were given at Newtowa last night by the Rev. J. Dawson, secretary ol the New Zealand Alliance. He quoted figures covering the whole period trom the passing of the Licensing Act, and the taking of the first poll under it, up to the present time. At the last election the whole of New Zealand polled a total majority of 33,331 in favour of No-license. One-seventh of the whole Dominion (or twelve electorates out of 76) carried No-license, and in 60 of the 76 a bare majority vote in favour of No-license was cast. In other words, 66 pei" cent, of those who went to the poll voted against the liquor traffic. In Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedm, majorities o£ over 2000 were recorded, and in the fourth city (Christchurch) there was over 400 of a majority. In 1896, with a population of 686,128 people (exclusive of Maoris), New Zealand had 1719 licenses, or one to every 341 inhabitants. To-day, with a population of 960,642 (exclusive' of 47,000 Maoris), the proportion of licenses had sunk to one to ©very 764 inhabitants. There had been a decrease of 462 licenses in six-, teen years— from 1719 in 1893 to 1257 in 190,9. ' There had been, in the fourteen years, a reduction of 308 in the number of licenses as a result ot the " reduction " issue being carried, and 154 had been reduced by the carrying of No-license in various electorates. In the twelve years from 1893 to 1905, 75 licenses were voted out by No-license. In the three years 1905-1908, 79 licenses were voted out by No-license. In the twelve years 1893-1905, there were 280 licenses voted out by reduction. For the first twelve years the induction was at the rate of 29 per year, and for the last three 36 per year.