LICENSING POLL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20105, 16 November 1928, Page 12

LICENSING POLL.

LATEST DOMINION TOTALS.

LARGER CONTINUAN'CE VOTE.

OVER 50 PER CENT. OF TOTAL. COMPLETE PROVISIONAL RETURNS Tho defeat of prohibition at tho licensing poll on Wednesday became moro em phatic when returns from all of the 68 licensing districts wero available yesterday. Tho aggregate Dominion vote for continuance is now 342,793. that for State purchase 58.667. and that for pro hibition 273,611, showing an adverse majority against prohibition of 127.849 The votes so far counted total 675,071. but tho absentee votes in each district have yet to bo added. Tho votes cast for continuance represent 50.78 per cent, of tho total, so that on the present figures continuance was carried without the assistance of the State purchase vote. The huge majority of 127,849 for continuance shows a great advance on the majority at the poll in 1925, which was 33.588 There was also this year increased support for tho State purchase issue. Details of the Dominion aggregates are:— Vote. Percentage. Continuance . 342.79.'! Ji0.78 State Purchaso . . fifi,667 8.09 Prohibition 273,611 40.53 Majority acninst Prohibition . . 127,813 18.94 The effect of tho majority may be. illustrated by the statement that for prohibition to havo been carried it would have been necessary for 63,925 electors who voted for continuance or Stato control to havo changed their minds before marking their ballot-papers. NEW ELECTION POSSIBILITY. ¥ NEW POLL NOT REQUIRED. Tho possibility of another general election before tho newly-elected Parliament has run for tho usual term of three years has drawn attention to tho position with regard to the licensing issue, llowever, there will be no necessity for another poll on this issue if Parliament is dissolved within tho next two years, the present result continuing in force until the electoral poll following, when the licensing question will again be submitted to the people. The Statute governing tho holding of licensing polls is the Licensing Act, 1908, section 12b of which reads:—"lf at any tiino Parliament is dissolved before it has been two years in existence, then at tho taking of the electoral poll for the new Parliament no licensing poll shall bo taken, but the result of the licensing poll taken at the then last previous general election shall continue in force until such licensing poll is again taken simultaneously with the electoral poll next after the dissolution of such new Parliament."