POLLING PROCEEDING

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 145, 17 December 1919, Page 8

POLLING PROCEEDING

HEAVY VOTING EXPECTED

PARTIES __ST> ISSUES.

After much election campaigning, today, as the day of decision. Candidates for Parliament have said theix say, and today';must confine their efforts to inducing ■ electors to vote without attempting to influence them as to the manner of their voting. If the Liberals drew first j blood in the return unopposed of the Hon. A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori), R»fonn has quickly recovered its ground :by the election of the three other Maori members, two of whom are Reform candidates and the third an Independent who'has always favoured Reform. To-day theTe is more evidence of activity.; by the parties, for all three—Reform, Liberal, and Labour—have made :their best effort. - Labour especially has -put;;the full power of its organisation Ito the test. As is usual, the morning has proved fairly busy at the booths, but the greatest rush is expected in the afternoon. Dull weather, with a threat of rain, has induced many people to vote earlier than they otherwise would. Promptly at noon, hotels, and Government, municipal,-.."and public offices closed, and at 1 o'clock shops followed Buiti They will remain closed for tho remainder of the day. This half-holiday may be taken in place of the weekly halfholiday for premises governed by the ShoJDs and Offices Act. Factories are not obliged to close, but their employees must be given reasonable time (up to one hour) in which to record their votes. The'hotels wiE not re-open at 7 o'clock, as they did in 1914, for since that time 6 o'clock closing has become the law of the land. Public schools are in many cases being used as polling-booths, and to .provide, for this the children have commenced their holidays a day or two earlier than usual.

Apart from the representation poll felectore all over New Zealand are required ,to express their choice to-day for the first-time on the three issues of National Continuance, Statfe Purchase, and National Prohibition without compensation. Prohibition or State Purchase and Control to be carried must secure over 50 per cent of the votes cast. That is to say Prohibition * must obtain more votes than State Purchase and Control and Continuance put together; or State Purchase,.and .Control must obtain more votes than the total cast for Prohibition and Continuance, otherwise Continuance will be cawied. In no-license districts '(including South and Wellington Suburbs) the electors have also the' opportunity of voting for the restoration of licenses, but there is no local opItioii poll in any other electorate. ANNOUNCING- THE -RESULTS. As at former elections, the results, as j /ithey come to hand, will be displayed on j itho. election board outside The Evening | 'Post office. Rjefcarns; will commence to come in shortly after 7 o'clock, and, returns for city seats should! be available betoveen 8 and 9. Candidates, are invited to address the _l-_tors :-from The Post balcony. Na.■tional licensing Tesulte will be shown on. •a screen by limelight. There is no absent soldiers' vote, to delay the an- | no___emenfc of representation returns, but, of amiss, seamen's votes and the returns from absent voters have to be taken into cbnsid__vtio_.. .On the licensing issue there will be an absent soldiers' -voteof approximately 1500. The public are' requested to refrain from telephoning to The Evening Post for results, as all telephones will be in use, and the staff will be busily engaged. Such inquiries cannd. be answered.