AFTER SEVEN YEARS

Northern Advocate, 16 November 1935, Page 10

AFTER SEVEN YEARS

LICENSING POLLS ISSUE BEFORE ELECTORS HOW OTHER VOTES HAVE GONE. [Special to “Northern Advocate.”] AUCKLAND, This Day. After an interval of seven years, voters will again be called, on to express their opinions on the licensing question on November 27 polling day. The last poll was taken ih conjunction with the general election of 1928, the one which would normally have taken place in 1931 being postponed on the grounds of economy.

The issues for the electors this year are those of national continuance, state purchase and control, and national prohibition, and the decision is by an absolute majority of any one issue over the other two. If no issue has a majority oyer the other two then continuance remains in force.

The memorable poll on the licensing issue occurred in April, 1919, on which occasion it appeared, at one stage, that national prohibition would be carried. That poll, by special legislation passed the previous year, provided for a vote ori the two national issues. At the time there were 35,000 members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force abroad, and special provision was made for them to exercise their vote, whether they were on troopships, or oh the Continent, in England, or in other parts of the Empire. On the night of the poll the figures showed a majority for National prohibition, but the soldiers’ vote turned the scale in favour of continuance by a majority of nearly 10,000.

1928 Figures. The licensing poll held in 1928 was the fourth at which the three issues of continuance, state purchase and control and prohibition were submitted to the 'electors. The voting was:— For continuance —373,692. For state purchase & c0ntr01—64,276,

For prohibition—292,4s3. In the polls taken between 1894 and 1908, six in number, electors voted by districts only and were asked to decide on the issues of continuance, nolicense and reduction of licenses. A three-fifths majority was required to bring about a change, and, during the period, 12 districts went dry, as follows: Clutha, 1894; Ashburton and Mataura, 1902; Grey Lynn, Oamaru and Invercargill, 1905; Eden, Ohinemuri, Masterton, Wellington South, Wellington Suburbs and Bruce, 1906.

Ohinemuri Returns. The only one of these electorates to return to license has been Ohinemuri. which, in 1925, decided in favour of restoration by 4,114 votes to 2,663, The required majority was exceeded by only 48 votes. Newtown and Chalmers carried the no-license issue in 1902, but the polls were subsequently declared void.

Ip those districts where no-license still obtains, a vote will be taken next month, in addition to the national' issue, on the question of restoration or otherwise, a 3-sths majority being required to 'bring’ about a change. Owing to the inclusion of the Roskill district in the no-license arpas, there will still be 12 districts on which the poll will be taken this year oh restoration.