LOCAL OPTION POLL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14382, 27 November 1908, Page 8

LOCAL OPTION POLL.

DUNEDIN. Tho recount of the local option poll for the Oity of Dunedm was concluded jesterday, and Mr Maxwell, tho returning officer, makes the following announoemenA: — Continuanca ... ... ... 8,772 Reduction .... 10 912 . Nolicenso. ... 11,686 Informal ... ... 299 , Valid voters ... ... ... ... 20,633 ' This shows that no-license was lost 'by 693 4,5 votes, and that reduction was carried by 595£' votes, Tho individual electorate voting was as follows:— Dunedm Oentral.-Contimianoe, 3017 : re. duetian, 3317; no-license, 3545: informal, 86; valid voters, 6622. . ■ Dunedm 'North.-Continuance, 2573; reduction, 3896; no-license, 4226; informal, 83; valid voters, .6864. Dunedm Wcst.-Continiiancc, 3182; reduction, 3699; no-license, 3915; informal 120; valid voters, 7147. ■ ' .There wero 145 seamen's vote oast for continuance, 24 for reduction, and 48 for iKMicenso. ' Of the absent voters' permits exercised, ( or continuance, 86 for reduction, fcntl 101 for no-license. j MABSDEN. . {Psb Uhitid ■ Press Association.) • WHANGAREI, November 26. Tho official returns of tho local option poll are:— Continuance, 1891; reduction*, 2107; i;o-li«?nse, 2359; valid voters, 4484. Seduction was lost by 135 votes, and no. license by 151. SUGGESTED LEGAL DIFFICULTIES. (Faoit Oub Own Cobmspomdekt.) 1 ' WELLINGTON, November 26. statement has been circulated about a forgotten issue" in connection with tho lioensing polls recently 'takien. Briefly put (says tho Poet), it is to the\effect that continuance, reduction, and no-license are not tho/.only issues that may be put to tho olcetors upon a local option poll. "Theso issues,'' it is stated, "fail to provide for the possible increaeo in. licenses required •by a growth of population," and that if tne population of any lioensing district has increased by 25 per cent, since the taking 01 the last poll, "under certain circumstances the voioo of the. people must also upon t ' lo blowing proposals;— _ That the number of licenses in tho district to increased." "That the number, df licenses in the district bo not increased." It not quite clear, however, -whether some action on tho part of electors • oJ.i P° ll ;s not quired. «L i * for , ' provides tJiat when tho population of any riding of a county or any road district outside of any such , county has suddenly increased in . a jStiSfiSi and v, a ? e^ ion f 39 , than 100 residents tliereof respectively has been presented. to the' Governor praying tot power m ay ho given to the iLLI Committee to issue a publican's license or tho Governor may, unless tho determination of the electors has been previously made that no licenses shall bo Orier-in-Cfcuncil grant such authority, and thereupon publicans' licenses may be granted in. the said riding by the committee at the ratio of one licensed Jiouse to every 700 persons residing within hnnqo'" 8 PI 7° i« kS from Suoh Ji °ensed , U ? says:-" (1) Except as Ikw kii lD ! ? last Preceding section, wiere shall not bo-granted any increase' in °-, i censes in 3n y district until after the taking of the next census; uLti, r f s^ ,a °J- SUcll prove that the population of any district has been increased by 25 per cent, then a proposal as to .whether there shall be an increase of h«mos graced or not shall be submitted to the electors for their determination; and (3) if such proposal is carried 'by a.majority of three-fifths in number of the totaT votes recorded at the poll, and suoh number of total votes recorded bo not Jess than one-half of the total number of electors on the roll of the district, then and m such case only the committee may grant additional licenses in suoh district, : a ™te not exceeding one license for 700 people of such increase in tho district.

It will be noticcd in eacli instance that . question of , granting increased licenses « ontirelv in tho discretion of the.Licensff B L ( £r mttee - • Tho act " may," not snail, grant increased licenses, and in toy event the possibility of getting a three-fifths vote for mcreaso of lieonses would appear to be remote. Taking tho insults' of the Jast poll throughout the conntry, while in Wellington the papuktion has increased at a rapid rate, it is fliracuJfc <to say whether an actual 25 .per cent, increase in a particular district could bo .shown. The boundaries .have been altered, and somo people are prepared to argue that the present districts, inasmuch as the . boundaries have been altered, did not exist at all at the taking of the census prior to the last, and that therefore they are entirely new for the purposes of the takini? of tho local option poll, -oncl had no existence until they were constituted by no ™ co >n the Gazette on February 7, ihe whole question is reported to be under consideration, and will provide a hat Test for tho lawyers it any definito steps are taken to solve tho points involved.

(Frojc On?, Own Coerespondekt.) AUCKLAND, November 26. , ihe question whether the licensing polls ,aie valid in districts where there is a largely increased population and no issue tor increasing of licenses was submitted is agitating botli sides here. Eden, which earned no-license, and Parnell, which carried reduction, should have submitted flic issue of the dcsirabilty of an increa«e in the number of licenses to the electors. liethei this makes the poll invalid is a nuos, ion which lias been raised, and remains to be settled. Grey Lynn also shows an increase of 25 per cent.' in its population, lmt the issue there was simply confined to restoration or n0,.-restoration ihc totals in these cases aro as follows: — Increase. Actual ■pi, ' ncofts.sn ry. increase. „ 2537 ... 2,751I'arnell ... ... 2627 ... 2697 Oninemun ... 2458 ... 2701 . .Grey Lynn ... 2429 '... 3777 It is rather, remarkable that no intimation was roccivccl bj the returning- officers from the chief electoral office upon this subject prior to the election. A leading member of the trade, when seen this morninp. expressed surprise- that lie poll providing for increase in the number of licenses had been apparently overlooked .Many membere of the trade thought it would have been an advantage if an increase in ,tho number of licenses had been, obtained in places where the population warranted it. • For fnntajice, the population of Auckland Oifcy lias increased enormously during the previous years, but there had been no corresponding increase in. the number of hotels. In fact, as a of reduction having been carried at tire last poll, there will actually be fewer hotels asset- June, despite our largely increased'

Illation, than there Merc. 20 years ago, lhevo is no po&sibilitj-,' however." ho added, of the trade taking any steps towards testing tho result of the elections on the ground that the clause of tho act in question has been overlooked." "if we can get a fresh poll in Parnell declared a gentleman who took a prominent. part in the. no-liconso movement in connection with tho recent, election "wo I™,. movo vep a "d earth-to carry prohlbltion. I hero syore certain quarters which, if properly aroused, would carry nolicense, and no effort would be spared bv our party if a fresh chance was given Men, I have not the slightest doubt, would repeat its vote of last week, and wo would rapidly welcome further fight. Tho subject is a delicate one, and at present it ia impossible to say'much, but. legal advice will be sought upon tho matter, and if the ■recent ballots are declared void we will eagerly welcome another fight." NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE. IHuted Press Association.) .WELLINGTON, November 26 Tho executive of the New Zealand Alliance passed a resolution congratulating its comrade ß on the gratifying advance of the no-licenso poll, expressing thanks to bod at the result, which would moan the total possiblo abolition of 140 bare," and regarding this result as an cncouragiH©nt and incentive to increased zeal in t% endeavour to set New Zealand wholly free from the blight of the liquor traffic." Another resolution expresses gratitude that so many good friends of the cause have been returned to Parliament, especially Messrs Fowlds and Taylor, and regrets tho defeat of such staunch supporters as Messrs M'Nab and Atkinson. AUCKLAND METHODIST SYNOD, (Peb Uhitsd Press Association.) AUCKLAND, November 26. Tho Auckland Methodist Synod passed a. resolution, recording gratitude for the success of efforts on bohalf of no-license encouraging tho hope that in a few years tho drink traffic and its attendant evils would, be abolished bv the vote of tho people; and urging church members to vote for licensing committees who will j minimise tho result of the traffic. ... APPBAL FOR FUNDS. (Pip. United Press' Association,} CHRISTCHURCH, November 26. The campaign cost the No-license party in -the three city electorates so much that an appeal for £800 is being made to clear off the liabilities. Tho executive has no ■fear, in view of the satisfactory result of tho poll, that tho sum will not bo raised at once. A great demonstration is to be held next week. THANKSGIVING SERVICE. A thanksgiving service for tlie result of tho recent local option poll was held in Port Chalmers Presbyterian Church last night, a strong contingent of Duncdin friends being present. A large <Mr led the praise, and the various religious exorcises were conducted by tho Ross. J. Ward, W. M. Grant, D. S. Mason, and Captain Holland, the address being given by the Rev. E. C. Tennent. Mr Tcnnent, after referring to' the magnificent advanco of the movement generally and the carrying of reduction in Chalmers, reminded his heaiers that this arousing of tho Christian conscience was gsneral throughout the world. He also referred to the statement often ma/do that lio-lkense was opposed to the natural desires of man, and said that it wa6 indeed impossible to oradicato any natural 1 desiro by- legislation. But the craving for alcoholic liquor was not a natural desire, and when the opportunity had been given for a generation to grow up in tho natural environment of no-license there would bo no desire for strong drink. Tho Rev. J. Ward, before closing the meeting, expressed the 'pleasure they folt in seeing so many visitors'from other pa.rts of the electorate, and urged all present to attend tho annual meeting of the No-license League next 'Thursday, when a committee .would be selected to ensure full effect being given to tho reduction vote. Miss j Johnson presided at the organ. '