THE LICENSING POLL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17347, 19 December 1919, Page 8

THE LICENSING POLL.

♦' — ■ The computation made in the Herald Office of the latest district results of the prohibition poll show a majority for prohibition ; the latest results of the prohibition poll shows a majority against. In either case the margin is so narrow that it is unsafe to anticipate the result. So evenly is public opinion divided that the issue will be an open one until a recount of* the votes takes place. It is, however, evident that the poll has been heavier than in April. This is no doubt due to the synchronisation of the referendum with an exciting general election. The prohibition vote is also heavier than eight months ago and would! appear to be relatively' heavier. For this several reasons may be suggested. The soldiers' vote on this occasion is not homogeneous and may have been affected by home, influences, and the passing of war conditions may have moved different voters in different ways. Probably, however, the greatest influence is the lapsing of the compensation clauses which governed the April referendum. It is safe to say that many prohibitionists objected to the principle of compensation, while taxpayers felt constrained to weigh the effect of the payment of £4,500,000 on the finances of the country! If prohibition is carried now the liquor trade will have lost the opportunity it enjoyed in April of receiving £4,500,000 for the suppression of its trading rights ; oh the other hand it will by the end of June have completed an extra year's business. The remarkable feature of the polling*is'the insignificance of the State control vote. Probably the determining factor was the reluctanceto assume an unknown liability, but whatever the reason it cannot be claimed by either side that the introduction of a third issue substantially affected the result.