THE LICENSING QUESTION.

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 December 1911, Page 5

THE LICENSING QUESTION.

THE .RECENT POLL. [XT TWJBOKAPH— FH HUM! ASBQCUSIOV.] FOR NATIONAL PROHIBITION. WELLINGTON, Dec. 10. The official results for National-pro-hibition vote are still drifting through to the chief electoral officer (Mr. F. W, Mansfield). The results do not differ materially from those already published. It is generally anticipated-that, the vote in favour of prohibition,. I will fall short of the required majority by five per cent. AS OTHERS SEE US. SYDNEY COMMENTS ON THE RESULTS. SYDNEY, This Day. Canon Boyce, says that the New Zealand prohibition voce is one of the most magnificent moral victories in the empire. This generation has probably seen no greater moral victory. It looks as if next election will mean the death and burial of the whole liquor traffic in New Zealand. . ■; The Daily Telegraph, in commenting on the election results, says that they afford a double surprise, first by the success of the Opposition in making tip so much leeway and secondly the strength of the prohibition vote. ' The latter suggests that the time is coming when New Zealand will. go absolutely "dry.' When only aboiiiten thousand votes on a total poll of nearly half a million is required . to : ensure this result, it is a fair conclusion that the "writing is on the wall''*'' Dealing with the Labor vote, it- says that the polling shows that the vote is beginning to organise. : \ V. The Herald says that the voting, so. far has disclosed a state of feeling which must be as unwelcome to -the, Prime Minister as it was unexpected. to the people in general. If the Ministry falls it will do so rather by an automatic loss of public interest than anyother cause. The prohibition vote is as remarkable in its way as the Pat--liarmentary polling. Though the three fifths majority was not secured, it is so near as to give the liquor trade an extremely precarious basis of popular, support. ' . -J 1 AUSTRALIAN ALLIANCE DELIGHTED. , ;i SYDNEY, Dec. 10.—Mr. Complin,; secretary of the New South Wa]ea Alliance is jubilant at the New Zealand vote. Nobody cnn deny it wfts a grand victory. With the assistance of the Catholic'vote probably they 'Oukl have carried National prohibition, with; a good deal to spare. Mr. Tennyson Smith, the temperance advocate pre-, diets that the liquor trade will Ho had]y beaten next election. The Officinlsof the Licensed Victuallers' Association declined to discuss the question oa the ' incomplete figures. THE DOMINION POLL. WELLINGTON, This Day. The figures for the Dominion Pro-, hibition poll are not yet available, the returned from Avon, and Hurunui not having come to hand.