LOCAL OPTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23170, 17 October 1938, Page 13

LOCAL OPTION

12 NO-LICENCE AREAS REBULTB OF THE POLLB CLOSE VOTES IN THE SOUTH Polls were taken on Saturday in 12 no-licence districts on the question whether licences should be restored, a three-fifths majority being necessary to reverse the present condition of nolicence. In no case did the number of votes for restoration reach the required majority, although Mataura and Invercargill did not fall far short. Mataura was only 1.83 per cent and Invercargill 2.21 per cent short of the necessary 60 per cent. None of the four Auckland no-licenoo areas reached a bare majority for restoration, and in the cases of Eden and Roskill there was a heavy vote in favour of the retention of no-licence. Following are the details of the voting in the 12 districts concerned:— Restoration No-licence Votes p.c. Votes p.c. Ak. Suburbs 5340 49.31 5489 50.60 Eden . • -5602 38.78 8841 61.22 Grey Lynn. 6671 48.63 7046 51.37 Skill. . 4702 35.67 8480 64.33 Masterton . . 5300 53.93 4527 46.07 Wgton. East 5806 43.91 7417 56.09 Wgton. Sth. 6625 52.51 5991 47.49 Wgton. Wst. 6341 46.10 7415 53.901 Oamaru . • 4769 48.04 5159 51.96 cXa 4636 52.46 4201 47.54 Mataura * . 5566 58-17 4002 41 83 Invercargill 7548 57.79 5513 42.2 As a result of boundary revisions and changes in the names of electorates, the Wellington Suburbs of the 1935 poll now appears as Wellington West, the name Wellington Suburbs being applied to an electoral division in which no restoration poll is held.

RESULTS IN 1935 POSITION UNCHANGED MARGINS NOT REACHED THE THREE HEAVIEST VOTES Polls on the question of maintaining local no-licence were taken in 1935 in 12 districts.' In no instance was the three-fifthu majority required for a restoration of licences obtained. Masterton, with 56.16 per cent of the vote for restoration, and Mataura, with 56.06 per cent, were the nearest to reaching the required quota, while Invercargill, with 55.03 per cent, was not far behind In 1928 Ohinemuri, which had adopted no-licence in 1908, decided for restoration by 4114 votes to 2663—48 more than the required majority. Following are .the detailed returns from the various districts at the 1935 pollsi ' Restoration No-Licence Votes p.c. Votes p.c. Ak. Suburbs 5746 51.94 5317 48.06 Eden . .. 5131 40,59 7509 59.41 Grev Lynn . 6714 51.18 6404 48.82 Roskill .. 5321 37.12 9014 62.88 Masterton . 5238 56.16 4089 43.84 Wet on East 6228 41.56 8756 58.44 Weton Sth. 5938 50.21 5887 49.79 Weton Subs. 6509 41.80 9061 58,20 Oamaru ». 4805 46.62 5501 53.38 Clutha .. 4416 50.26 4370 49.74 j Mataura . . 5135 56.06 4025 43.94' Invercargill. 735b 55.03 6006 44.97 Twelve districts adopted no-licence i under the local option system, begin-! ning withy Clutha in 1894 and ending with six in 1908. As a result of changes in electoral boundaries, und in spite of the elimination of Ohinemuri, there are still 12 "dry" districts. Bruce, which carried no-licence in 1908, and Ashburton, which did the same in 1902, have disappeared from the list of electorates, but Roskill, Auckland Suburbs, and Wellington East have been added through the division of nolicence districts.

DEPOSITS FORFEITED ONLY EIGHT CANDIDATES NEARLY ALL INDEPENDENTS Tho provisional count of votes in the general election shows that only eight candidates throughout the Dominion will lose their deposits of £lO. Deposits are forfeited by thoso who obtain less than one-fourth of tho number of votes polled by the successful candidate. In the 1935 election, when many more persons stood for Parliamentary honours, 17 lost their deposits in 10 Auckland city and suburban seats alone. Those who will lose their deposits on this occasion comprise seven Independents and one National. The Independent candidates are: —Mr. A. E. Robinson, Eden; Mr. F. Allen, Auckland Suburbs; Mr. J. Scott-Davidson, Kaipara; Mr. A. J. Gallichan, Raglan; Mr. H. 0. Barker, Tauranga; Mr. T. F. Simpson, Wellington North; Mr. G. E. T. Dorman, Invercargill. The National candidate' who will forfeit hia deposit is Mr. T, Q. Maddiaon, Builer*