VOX POPULI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13938, 21 December 1908, Page 3

VOX POPULI.

1 Sir,—lf tho liquor and no-license parties, instead of wrangling over the results of the r licensing polls, would tako bteps to drill t their forces, they might achieve their I desires. lam prepared, for a consideration, j to act. as organiser for either or -both parties, and, as a specimen of my qualifications, J bog to append the following: —" How to 1 carry continuance without a single vote v being cast in its favour." For simplicity, r wo may take 1000 voters, half of whom give e a straight-out vote for reduction, and the r other half the same for no-license. This • gives us: For continuance, nil; reduction, 1 500; no-license, 500. Continuance carried. '• How to carry no-license with an absolute majority against it." In this ease 601 of tho 1000 voters give a vote each for continuance and no-license (a. valid and much-favoured v vote), and the remaining 399 vote straight- , out for continuance. We have then: For Continuance, 1000; reduction, nil; nolicense, 601. No-license carried. Once more, a ''How 1000 voters having no opinion, and s< expressing none, may carry no-liecnse." We n may suppose that the voters desire to cast a valid vote without indicating a preference they do not possess. They can only do so s ' by giving a vote each to continuance and P no-license. Thus: For Continuance, 1000; n reduction, nil no-license,' 1000. Astonish- c ing result! No-license carried by big majority. This letter is already too long, or I p would further show how, by a judicious a casting of votes, the intelligent- elector may t carry all the propositions at once. ti An Absent-minded Voter. s