MAORIS TO VOTE IN GENERAL LICENSING POLL

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 September 1949, Page 3

MAORIS TO VOTE IN GENERAL LICENSING POLL

WELLINGTON, Sept. 22.—Maori electors will have a right in future to vote in a general licensing poll. Provision for this is made in the Licensing Amendment Bill introduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives today. A general licensing poll is taken 'on the day of a General Election, and the bill states that such a poll is to be taken in Maori electoral districts. The voting paper- given to an elector of a Maori electoral district shall be printed in English and Maori. A general licensing poll shall be taken in the manner- prescribed, by the Electoral Act for the taking of an electoral poll, and the electoral rolls in force shall be deemed to be. the rolls of electors for the purposes of a licensing poll. ‘ At local restoration polls in nolicence districts there shall be two issues submitted to electors. The first will be whether licences shall be restored in that- district. There will also be a further issue—whether, if the proposal for restoration of licences is carried, al ocal trust shall be established to conduct hotels, and sell' intoxicating liquor in-the district. These two questions will be submitted on separate, voting papers instead of on’ one as in the recent special licensing polls in Ashburton and Geraldine.

The Minister of Justice (Mr H. G. R. Mason) said that with two issues on the , ballot papers the number of informal votes had. been quite extraordinary. This seemed to be because: of the combination of two is-, sues on one paper, and provision had therefore been made for, separate ballot papers for each issue. A three-fifths majority is required tq carry restoration, but the trust issue is decided,on a bare. majority. A, decision in favour: of restoration shall become effective three months, after the poll, ;