LOCAL OPTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13926, 7 December 1908, Page 6

LOCAL OPTION.

THE MASTERTON POLL. [by telegraph.—press association.] '•■-.- J >'■■■ Masterton, SatuiJay. The recount of the licensing poll gives a majority for no-license of 31 2-sth votes. The grounds of the petition against 'Itbelfil validity of the poll are that" Masterton was a new district, and no Gazette notice was published, as required; that persons voted who were not adults, and had not' been in the Dominion 12 months, nor in ■■ the district three months that tie population had increased 25 per cent., and voters should have had a proposal to increase licenses placed before them; that absentee votes were recorded, and that there is no power to issue such permits; that many irregularities occurred, particularly by th& exhibition of placards and by fresh voting papers being issued to voters - who had . spoiled their copies; that one .booth •x.ik not opened for half an hour after, the proper time. It is also alleged that persons, who were on the roll for other electorates ' voted. No date is yet fixed for the hear-". ;"■ ing; ■;' : - vV: A PETITION WITHDRAWN. * .. ; : i ■: ■ : . .. ... '.'■.''■.:'■'■:...'■■■.■:■.-.: .■■■■:':. ::--'!:r. : ;: ; o<[BY TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT,] , '*•■'.."'.'■=■■.,. ' ,* " , ,;.,,; ;. V•• i-:.-i~,. '« •• -•- • > ' Wellington, Sunday. ! j." ', The petition for a magisterial recount in the Wellington Suburb* licensing poll has been withdrawn, owing to a mistake in the date- of application. The result of the poll ap-, peared on November 24, and the application should have been filed within seven - ; days, up to December 1, but owing to an oversight it was not made until the 3rd of '•',;. the present month. yV ..'_ . ~ • THANKSGIVING SERVICE. ... A thanksgiving service in connection with the recent local option polls was held at ■ the Opera House last night under the auspices of the Auckland Province No-license Council. - Mr. A. C. Caughey, who presided, stated, in the course of his remarks, that of the 1367 bars now existing in the Dominion it was possible under the redac- , tion votes carried that 140 would beclosed..-,, On the motion of the Rev. G. Bond, stcond-; ed by ; Mr. G.Aldridge, the following resolution was carried:—"That this meeting records its deep gratitude for the success attending the no-license polls on November 17. It heartily congratulates those electorates which carried no-license • for I the first time, and: those in which reduction haa been carried, and rejoices < that wherever 1 previously in force no-license has been maintained. The meeting also congratulates the no-license party throughout the Dominion ■■■~■. upon the magnificent results of the strenuous :fight in which the Auckland district played so important a part. This meeting further renews its determination to wag« increasing war against the evils of tos liquor traffic, and in view of the misclue! wrought by this scourge of our race, n ■ pledges itself to pray and work until th« ' traffic in? intoxicating liquor, as a beverage, shall be banished from this fair tod by the ; power, of Christian conscience,, public opinion, and the strong arm of the law- . ■■: ■ •"" ■-■■'■■. '•■■' ' - ■ ■"- -' ii.-fea->.*i.=ar.;fe.; ■ ' '"''';■ ' : . ''. ■'•>"-, , THE BORDER BREWERY. ■."■•■ . ■,■ .■.....; In regard to the statement that a resident of Ashburton has secured a permit or; license to open a brewery or brewery depot in the Selwvn district at one of its nearest pints to the town of Ashburton, the Af-'j-urton Mail of Tuesday last has the fol- - lowing:—"lt is asserted thatarrangemcius have been virtually completed for either :, the purchase or the lease of a sufficient; - area of land in the locality indicated, and that when a few preliminary matters save been settled with the Customs Department the necessary buildings will be erected. • » is authoritatively stated, in addition, that the movement to establish the brewery has been in operation for some considerable turn* past, but. that the promoter deferred going on with his project until the result of the H : ' licensing poll had boeu definitely announc; ed with respect to So! wyu and Ashburton. # The same paper also'states:—-la regard to the two hotels at Mount Soiners and . Alford Forest, respectively, that are no* included in the Selwvn licensing district,, and which were formerly within the'.boundaries of the no-license district of \£t&- ' burton, it is stated, on. legal authority, that there is no provision made in the Act to restore the licenses to these houses, and v that to gain this end a special order ana . consent' of the Governor-in-Council wotua - have to bo obtained." , „_________ -