LICENSING POLL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22718, 2 November 1935, Page 24

LICENSING POLL

THE NATIONAL ISSUES SEVEN YEARS INTERVAL CHANGES IN LEGISLATION On the day of the coming general election, Wednesday, November 27, voters will once more be called on to express their views on the licensing question. The last licensing poll was taken in c< .- junction with the general election of 1928, as the one that would normally have taken place in 1931 was postponed by special legislation on the grounds of economy. The present interval of seven years is the longest that has elapsed since the licensing question was first ] Jt to the popular vote in 1894. This may help to account for the absence of the warmth and vigour that were so characteristic of the old-time campaigns. The issues to come before the electors next month are those of national continuance of the licensed trade, State purchase and control, and national prohibition, and the decision is by an absolute majority of any one issue over the other two. If no issue has a majority over the other two then continuance remains in force. SOLDIERS* VOTE IN 1919. The law governing the taking of licensing polls has been frequently altered since the first one was taken in 18SJ4, but (says the New Zealand Herald) the most numerous and radical amendments were made in a Bill passed by Parliament on December 10, 1918, This legislation provided for a special poll on the national issue only to be taken on April 10, 1919, for- the Nation to the ballot paper of the State purchase proposal, and for the decision of the issue by absolute majority. The poll that followed was of peculiar interest. It was taken at a time when about 35,u00 members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force were still abroad, and special arrangements had to be made for them to exercise their rights wherever they happened to be—on troop ships, on the Continent, in England, Egypt, or elsewhere. On the night of the poll the figures showed a majority for national prohibition, but the soldiers' vote saved the day for continuance by a majority of nearly 10,000. The last licensing poll, held oft November 14, 1928, was the fourth at which the three issues of continuance, State purchase and control and prohibition were submitted to the electors. The voting on that occasion was:—For continuance, 373,692; for State purchase and control, 64,276; for prohibition, 294,453. LOCAL OPTION RESULTS. At the first six polls on the licensing question taken from 1894 to 1908 the electors voted by districts only and were asked to decide upon the issues of continuance, reduction of licences and nolicence. Voting on the basis of a threefifths majority to bring about a change, 12 districts have carried no-licence, namely, Clutha in 1894, Ashburton and Mataura in 1902, Grey Lynn, Oamaru and Invercargill in 1905, Eden, Ohinemuri, Masterton, Wellington South, Wellington Suburbs and Bruce in 1906. The only one of these electorates to return to licence has been Ohinemuri, which in 1925 decided in favour of restoration by 4114 votes to 2663. The required majority was exceeded by only 48 votes. Newtown and Chalmers carried the no-licence issue in 1902, but the polls were subsequently declared void. The first national prohibition poll was taken in 1911, and in that year and in 19"' district polls also were taken on the two issues only of continuance and no-licence, the reduction proposal having been eliminated. Owing to the inclusion of the newlyformed Roskill electorate as a no-licence area there will still be 12 no-licence districts at the coming poll, and voters in these will have placed before them in addition to the national issues the issue of local restoration. Eden, Grey Lynn, Auckland Suburbs and Roskill are all in this position. In all other areas local option has been abolished.