THE LICENSING REFERENDUM.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1705, 19 December 1919, Page 5

THE LICENSING REFERENDUM.

A PROHIBITION' SET BACK. . , , 3 CONTINUANCE MAJORITY NOW 1590. NEARLY 20,000 VOTES, YET TO COME. ! Per Press Association. ; WELLINGTON, Doc, 18. The, following .are tho latest totals on tho licensing referendum 1 ; — Contim;;tftco ... J ... 217,161 State Control . ~•; ...I ... 28,737 Prohibition 244,308 Tho majority for continuance on the whole count is thus 1590. There are still lour districts to come— Waitemnta, Hurunui,-Bruce and Kaiapoi. Returns received'by . the New Zealand Alliance 'give-tho prohibition total for these four electorates as 12,600, and the combined continuance and. State, control total 12,414. These figures added to the official totals ;make it appear that, tho majoriU' agains.t prohibition at present is 1404. It seems likely, however, that there is an. error in the otlicial figures from Waikato, and that the prohibition total should bo 1000 greater than returned. This would bring the majority against prohibition to 404 votes. Over 2000 soldiers’ votes have still to be counted, and there are about 1800 seamen’s permits, and 16.000 absent voters’ permits on issue. The soldiers include 1373 at sea and about 700 in England and Samoa. Tho votes cast by the se.imen and absent voters will be counted when the official counts are taken.

: THE LATEST FIGURES. CONTINUANCE STILL IN THE LEAD. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON,, Dec., 19. Tho position of tho lecensing poll at noon to-day was: Continuance 225,378 State Control < 29,909 National Prohibition ... 263,701 This gives prohibition a minority of 1586. There are still about 20.000 absentee votes to bo counted, while at present no official returns have been deceived from Kaiapoi or Huruhui. ' THE TRADE’S PREDICTION. Tho present relative positions of continuance and prohibition'in tho licensing referendum continues to give rise to speculations on lioth sides. According to results published vestorday afternoon tho prohibition party held a substantial lead and exultation in their camp prevailed. However, later results indicate a reversal of fortune fyr.thu present, and optimism has oscillated to tho continuance adherents. Mr D. McPherson, of, tho Licensed Victuallers’ Association, was secii by a . reporter from the “Standard” this morning, and expressed himself in hopeful terms as to the ultimate issue. : Ho admitted that there -were approximately 20,000 votes still to be accounted for, but nevertheless there was satisfaction in the reflection that even" if the result was one of, fifty-fifty the liquor party would win comfortably with their present lead of 1590. Of tho 20,000 votes, still to bo accounted for the absent voters 1 permits form -by far-the largest majority—l6,ooo- being: on issue. - The ' remainder are iiuido up of 1800 seamen and over 2000 soldiers; 1373 on the water and 700 in England and Samoa. Of the result of the absent voters’ permits Mr McPherson eoulif not,speak with any (Idgreo* of certainty beyond expressing the opinion that the result would bo about liiilved. There was no indication as to how the vote would go. In the case of-the soldiers it would bo safe to assume on the precedent of tho last referendum that throefourths of the votes would be cast jn, favour of the trade. Tlldjsoamyn had .not dejhonstrated. thonfte]>.4l*insf solidly in(-favouj-; of continuance, but. 'fib fell assured that a thousand votes would bo secured from them. - ISLjvND.' .’ • .

; '; : " *5 ■A,', o' it-4- '( >%' ;' It Itf Ml 1 '8 3 urP— ..,.& "a o O a O ! 0} % Tho, following shows tho. voting through-1 out the various electorates: — 2156 299 2562 Mars'den 2905'* 297 . 2371 Ivaipara ■...:. 2175; 369 2593 3084 403 4456 Eden .' ... 2378 296 .3614 Roskill ....'.............. 2512 375 6001 Groy Lvnn 3239 305 4649 Auckland West, East ■ and Central 11935 1615 10788 3130 425 4938 2955 321 4098 2257 314 3266 2310 332 2902 2189 722 2585 2260 479 2539 2780 346 3216 2602 486 3050 2819 523 2957 2813 -477 2305 2829 477 2300 3245 619 3607 3485 523 3436 3490 625 3595 3152 2834 484 273 3165 3081 2702 303 4305 2567 211 3065 2274 201 3472 2888 220 3655 3435 ; 341 • 4207 2304 256 2475 Wellington Central .. Wellington North Wellington Suburbs .. 2535 2976 \ 3622 2967 2964 4315 4194 4421 3465 3526 3870 , 2298 3150 240 358 309 .454 335 694 665 770 559 852 557 394 455 3148 3085 4021 3244 2746 4642 2691 3418 3869 4314 3267 2235 1706 • SOUTH'ISLAND 3085 J •I 670 3333 2609 485 213 r / 2753 385 275( 3308 274 300-1 3319 473 236C Not available 2983, 253 319f Chch. North, Soutl 12,178 3560 . 3032 . 2975'' . 3163 . 3272 . 3184 .3046 . 2785 . 2907 1737 538 395 469 329 .354 337 428 240 341 13,94! 455? ■ 359C 366C 2741 2895 4101 298: 304' 367C Duncdin North, West . and Central 1 10804 Duncdin South 3425 869' 275 139 271 283 219 330 ' 239 1 658 252 1384' 455:. 319' 250: 280' 297: 300t 252 417T 281> April poll, including Boldier votes: Con tinuanoo, 264,189; 255,827.