THE LICENSING POLL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2766, 24 August 1931, Page 4

THE LICENSING POLL.

THE announcenient by the Prime Minister, that the Government intends to introduce legislation enabling advantage to be taken of the offer of the New Zealand Alliance to agree to a postponement of the licensing poll until the occasion of the general election at the expiry of next Parliament will be received with satisfaction. The expense bD the referendum on the liquor issue constitutes a very

considerable addition to the cost of the elections, and the saving that will be effected through the suspension of the poll is an important consideration at the present time. The economic crisis makes it desirable, furthermore, that the election should be contested wholly on the general political issues and the removal of the distracting issue of prohibition,from the political sphere should make it possible for the electors to record their votes upon their estimate only of the claims of candidates for parliamentary honours and of the records of the political parties of service to the country. The principle of the triennial poll pn the licensing issue is, of course, to be preserved by the Government in the special legislation which is to be introduced. That complies with a proviso accompanying the decision of the New Zealand Alliance to acquiesce in the suspension of the licensing vote. It is permissible to ' express a hope, however, that the experience of this year may be such as will suggest to the Government and to the public the desirability of considering whether it is really necessary that the licensing poll should ordinarily be held o.t the time of each successive general election. It seems most likely that a majority of the people would be well content if the poll were held only at alternate general elections. While recognition must be given to the public spirit which doubtless inspired the New Zealand Alliance in its offer to forego the poll on this occasion, it would not be discourteous to remark that a vote on the liquor question is an expensive matter not only for the country but for the prohibition interests as well and that they cannot be wholly indifferent to the financial advantages of less frequent polls. Another consideration of no small consequence is that the creation of a longer interval between the polls would afford some encouragement to the owners of hotel property to improve their premises. There is great need for improvement in many cases.