LICENSE AND NO-LICENSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13707, 25 March 1908, Page 4

LICENSE AND NO-LICENSE.

Sir,—l admit the justice of Mr. Palmer'* correction, but not the truth of his conclusions. I should. have said that a majority of the voters who polled in- November, 1905,. for Auckland City, were in favour of nolicense. The figures, I believe, are as follows: Number of voters. 16,54-8; votes foi no-license, 8202; for reduction, 7*50; for continuance, 7930. It is fair to assume tliM the electors who did not. vote were divided in opinion against and tor license in about the same proportions; and thus, taking the votes of those who did poll as a guide, it ii to assume that the majority of the eleo tors of Auckland City in 1905 were ic favour of no-license. "P. S. SitALLFiELD.

Sir,—Your correspondent J. S. Palmer, licensee of Edinburgh Castle Hotel, must be hard to satisfy. Surely when 8202 vou no-license and only 7930 vote '" continuant* Mt. Smallfield is justified in saying 'the., majority favoured no-license at the last poll. It is true there were tome 20,000 names on , tin? roll, and only 16,548 voted, but who can f claim those who did not vote? Perhapi , Ait, P. is not aware that the '12 candidate*, for Parliamentary honours in the city, re . ■ presenting a large variety of interests, polled only 15,417, being 1131 loa than the local option poll secured . The three successful candidates com '• bined polled 7575 to their opponents. 7709. It will be observed that the continuanco vote was 272 less than the no-licens* vote, so licenses exist in this city by * minority vote. This is also the case in 29 other electorates in the North Island. In fact, continuance secured a bare majority in only four of the 34 electorates in th« North, and still the liquor party want to keep the .three-fifths handicap upon th* reform party. But folks are beginning to see that until the financially-interested aw debarred (as they ought to be) from voting, anything beyond a bare majority is most unfair, and it isonade more apparent when it is recollected that the antiquated liquor system, with unlimited wealth, custom. appetite, vested interests, and fanaticism,cannot obtain a. bare majority for its continuance. This may incite 'the ' trade to ." vigorous action. So lie it. We want an expression of opinion a' the ballot-box, and will abide by that decision if we can get fair play and no favour. There is no justice in giving the financially-interested person » : vote and a-half to the one vote exercised bj r the individual working for his country': good. If there is any manliness in the trada let it, come on equal terms, and we will 1> content. \Y. J. Macuekmott. . ■