LOCAL OPTION POLL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14381, 26 November 1908, Page 8

LOCAL OPTION POLL

DUNEDIN. •• ■ The count for t.ho local option poll for the Duncdin licensing district will bo concluded to-day. Up to last' night 19,919 votes had ■bran dealt with. MAT AURA. The official returns of the local option.i voting in the Mataura electorate arc thus 1 given: -Restoration of licenses, 2013; noilrestoration, 2544. Total, 4665. Informal, 103. r ' ] • I. MANUKAU. .(Pip. Uhited Press Association.) AUCKLAND, November 25. The result of tho Manukau local option poll was announced this afternoon. Tho sorut.iny revealed that no-license had been lost by 31 votes, and that reduction had been carried. AN IMPORTANT POINT RAISED. (Per United Pjieho Association.) WELLINGTON, November 25. The New Zealand Times points out in reference to the local option poll that clause 14 of the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act provides that in districts were thoro lias been am increase of 25 per cent, -in population a proposal to increase the number of licenses must bo included in the ballot paper. This has not been done, It is understood that tho matter has been referred to high legal authorities, and it is suggested that it may bo-necessary in some districts to take fresh polls as provided for in section 16 of "Tho Licensing Act Amendment, 1904." EFFECT ON THE TRADE. (Per Unwed Press Association.) AUCKLAND, November 25. One of the first effects of tho increase in the no-liccnso vote at tho recent poll is that it has made owners of hotel property hesitate about incurring any expenditure on buildings in the face of the fact that in another three years' timo it is impossible to say what the result of tho peoples' vote will be. It ig now stated that as a,

matter of actual fact orders for works on various premises, amountiiij; in" the aggregate to ±!25,000, have already been cancelled. A representative of tho Trado said, when interrogated'.by a reporter to-day;'"You may be certain that for the next Ihrec ycam as little money will ho expended upon hotel property as possible, ' because vou must admit, that, looking at the recent vote there is by no means a certainly of.tenure." Another gentleman, when spoken to, said that ho knew,of one country hotel wheWtho owner had intended to spend £1000. It had been decided to let iho' houso go as it is an.l not increase the accommodation on account of the recent vote.