Prohibition or-What?

Mataura Ensign, Issue 215, 14 November 1896, Page 3

Prohibition or -What?

THE OA.SE OF THE PUKERAU HOTEL. There uas been some considerable doubt writes the Wellington correspondent of the ' O.D. Times,' as to which schedule of the act in regard to the prohibition vote will be used as the Clutha election. It will be remembered that at the last election the Clutha electors declared for prohibition, but that the recent alteration in the electoral boundaries put a hotel at Pukerau into the electorate. The question therefore arises as to how the vote is ' to be taken — that is, whether the prohibitionists or the lipuor party will have to secure the three-fifths majority. In order to set the matter at rest I called this afternoon at the Colonial Secretary's department, but was courteously referred to the returning offioe at Balclutha. The matter is purlely one of legal opinion. I understand, however, that the returning officer intends to have the vote taken under the first schedule of the act, seeing that there _ is now a hotel in the district. This will mean that unless the prohibitionists poll a three-fifths majority hotel licenses may again be granted in the Clutha, whereas had the Pukerau house not been included the Liquor party would hava had to poll the three-fifths majority in order to revert to the former stote of affairs.