THE LICENSING POLLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13905, 12 November 1908, Page 6

THE LICENSING POLLS.

A KEEN FIGHT. f HEAVY VOTING ANTICIPATED. As the day of the polling draws nearer the fight between the no-license and the license parties grows keener and keener, and it is evident that one of the biggest efforts ever mado by the prohibition interest in Auckland is proceeding at the present time. The parties were never better organised than now, and each professes to be. confident of success. It was known that the no-license party intended to mako a big effort, but tho extent to which organisation work had been, carried on was not fully realised by the genoral public until within the past week or so. Feeling, perhaps, that confident assertions about the organising work __ had done some harm to the prohibition cause previously, tho no-license party this time has devoted more attontion to quiet canvassing, .and there can be little doubt that the party in Auckland is making the greatest fight since the local option poll was instituted. On the other hand, the license party has also realised that complete organisation is necessary to secure a continuance of licenses, and it has for a loner time been organising in every direction. There arc armies of canvassers in the field fox' one or other side, and few residences have escaped visitation by some epccial pleader or other. "Reduction" is predicted in Auckland by the no-license party, and prohibition in Manuka'' is also talked of. When asked upon what the predictions are based, the no-license advocates..pin their faith to the voto of the young people generally, stating that there will be a greater vote of people between the ages of 21 and* 30 in favour of reduction than ever was cast before. The license party, in support of its interest, contends that tho public has seen and appreciated the great improvement in the conduct of hotels generally, and points out that the Licensing Bench has commented in favourable terms on the manner in which Auckland hotels are managed. The issue, of course, is. impossible to forecast, because it is impossible to tell how the great silent" vote will go, but heavy voting is anticipated, and the fight between the two parties is absorbing public interest almost to tho exclusion of general politics. Almost every horse that can be called a horse, and every vehicle that has not actually gone to tho rubbish heap, will be in use on Tuesday next, and, as "one cabby expressed it, "You couldn't get a. cab for love or money that day in Auckland, tor they were nil booked months ago." It is stated that one young couple, who had lost all interest in election matters, and didn't oven know that tho elections were to be held "on November 17, had fixed on that day for their wedding, but have had to postpone the event till Wednesday, because the only volatile available for hire was a wheelbarrow. < A NO-LICENSE ADDRESS. Tho . interest being shown in the noliconse question at the present time was exemplified last evening at the Baptist Tabernacle, when an address was delivered by the Rev. R. B. S. Hammond, Anglican missioner, of Sydney, to a crowded audience. The Rev. H. Knowlea Kempton presided, I while Canon HisoWen and Mr. W. J. Mae- j dcrmott also oueupfcd seats on the plat- I form.,, Mr. Hammond, who has a fine j delivery, was in .good 'form, and ho had the ] audience with him throughout. In deal- ] ing with Ashburton, which, he. recently j visited, be mentioned that the; police arcs, . was larger than the nodicenso area, and it included three hotels. ' This evening Mr. .Hammond v.iil give an j illustrated lecture in the Y.M.O.A. Hall,, j entitled " Under the Shadow of the Ilottie." ] i A Y.M'.C.A. RESOLUTION. At the monthly meeting of the Board of Management of tho Young Mop's Christum Association, held on Tuesday evening, the following resolution was unanimously adopted:-That, in view of the evils associated with the opon liquor bar, especially as young men are affected thereby, in view also of the confident testimony of impartial and trustworthy authorities as to the beneficial effects of no-licence in luvercargi'i and other ajens within the Dominion where it has had a fair trial, this board has no hesitation in urging members of tho Y.M.C.A. to vote no-license at the approaching local option poll by striking out the top line." STORMY DEBATE IN DUNEDIN. [lit TELEGRAPH.' —I'RESS ASSOCIATION.] • Dunepin, Wednesday. A public debate on the result of no-liceuso in the State of Maine took place between the Rev. W. Thomson and Mr. A. S Adams to-night, in the Garrison . Hall, which was packed, several hundreds being unable to gain admission. The meeting was exceedingly noisy from tho outset, and Mr. Adams, who led off on behalf of the no-iicenso party, was subjected to continuous interruption. At the end of half-an-hour Mr. Thomson took the platform, and received much the same treatment. The disputants then had 20 minutes each for reply, and were to have had another 10 minutes each, but the meeting had become to uproarious that neither could be heard, and tho gathering closed without a. vote being taken as to who had won. Tho debate was probably the largest and noisiest meeting ever held in Dunedin. -Tho crowd outside were kept, in check by the police, who used a . fire hose on occasions with good effect. WHARF LABOURERS' DEMANDS. [BY telegraph.—-press association.] CiißiSTcmrßcn, Wednesday. So far no reply has been sent bv the Lyttelton hotolkeep'ore to the demand of tlio wharf labourers that beer should be reduced to 4d per pint, and at a meeting held this,afternoon it was decided to vote i no-license if a favourable reply is not received by noon to-morrow. A NOlS\ MEETING. i •■■■■•». , [by telegram.—PßESS association.] Palmkrston North, Wednesday. Air. J. J. Bagnall addressed a crowded meeting to-night on the subject of local option. He strongly denounced the methods of the no-license party, and auoted returns showing the failure of no-license in prohibited districts. At the conclusion of the meeting there was a no-license demonstration, and the lights had tc be lowered before the hall was emptied. NELSON BREWERS* MANIFEST^). [By TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Nelson, Wednesday. A manifesto was published to-day over the signatures of the three local brewers, who own the majority of the city hotels, stating that they had" endeavoured to find out what alterations the public most desired, and which they thought would be conducive to the better management of licenced houses. After carefully considering the various views, the manifesto proceeds, "We have come to the elusion that tho two alterations the public would most like to see brought about are, (1) the earlier closing of licensed premises, and (2) the abolition of barmaids. With a view to giving effect to the wishes of the public, we undertake to have provision .inserted in all future leases of our hotels providing for closing at half- ton o'clock, and prohibiting / the employment of barmaids."