THE LICENSING POLL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 13934, 16 December 1905, Page 4

THE LICENSING POLL.

The No-license Party seemed to taking its "set-back” very cheerfully last evening, when the local leaders addressed the faithful on the results of the poll. / In Canterbury the continuance vote has certainly mad© a great advance, but everywhere els© the No-hconee Party appears to have improved its position materially, and the figures quoted so freely last night weye quite impressive. The Otago agent of the New Zealand Alliance writes to us this morning dealing specifically with the position in the no-lioense areas, showing • a net increase in the votes for no-license and a* very substantial majority over the vote for restoration. The Ashburton position ■ is peculiar, because the vote for the restoration of licenses in the district exceeds that for no-lieenso, and w© confess to a good deal of interest as to how the people will vot© three years, he rice. The figures admit of various explanations, we know, but they seem to bear out the contention of our Commissioner that local opinion is far from being fixed as to the success of the nolicense experiment. The no-licenso movement has made its greatest advance ‘in the North Island. In the Wellington province all the electorates, with one exception, show a majority of no-license voters. It will be time enough to analyse the figures, however, when, the official returns for tlie colony are complete. We'are Inclined to think, from this year’s experience, th-att the time has come now when the licensing poll should bo separated from tire parliamentary poll. The connection cannot be said to exercise altogether a good influence on either poll. ’ Probably both parties will oppose the separation, but it should surely not be difficult to secure substantial polling in February or March,'when the licensing, poll could be held in conjunction with the elections of licensing committees- There are arguments on both sides, the double interest producing .an exceptionally fine expression of public opinion at the ballot-box, while, on the other hand, the campaign, under present conditions is inevitably dominated by the liquor Issue. The part played by no-licenss leaders in the political world unquestionably influenced the Votes on the licensing issues last week, and we are sure that this influence would not have been nearly so marked if the polls had been held on different days. In North Christchurch, for example, the parliamentary election turned very largely on the licensing. issue, and the enormously important land issue was barely considered. The position would have been greatly improved, to our mind, ii the polls had been separated, and though the result might have been the same, the election would have been decided more clearly on the political merits of the candidates. Perhaps the evil was accentuated in regard to Christchurch North, but it was evident to some extent in every electorate.'