THE LOCAL OPTION POLL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 45

THE LOCAL OPTION POLL.

THE CITY.

The local option poll, or what is practically the " referendum " upon the liquor question, was taken yesterday, as formerly, in accordance with the provisions of the Alcoholic Liquors Sale and Control Act of 1895, the provisions of which have been made fairly well known to the public by many platform expositions and by practical application. The vote is taken at 'the time of the general election, and the questions submitted for decision are (1) local prohibition — that is, the discontinuance of the licensing of hotels for the sale of alcohol ; (2) the further restriction of the traffic; and (3) its maintenance as at present, subject only to increase at a fixed ratio when the population has increased to the extent specified in the act as needed to justify the granting of an additional license ; no question of increase being submitted to the vote. As is generally known, a majority of three-fifths, oi of 60 out of every 100 voters, must be recorded in order to carry "no license," and a tare majority of voters must vote reduction to carry that proposition. Some confusion arises from the fact that the majority required is not a majority of vote 3 for one proposal as against the other, but a, majority of voteis. .The thing is not tho same, because under the method of voting prescribed by the act, an individual who ".strikes out the top line " gives two votes, •while one wha leaves that line untouched and erases the other two records but one vote. This will account for the seeming contradiction that while upon the votes recorded yesterday for the City there is a majority of 115 in favour of a reduction as against continuation, there is not a majority of the voters upon the question. After rejecting all informal votes it is found that 15,522 voters cast their ballots at the City licensing poll yesterday. One half of that number would of course bo 7761, and consequently 837 more voters would be required to carry reduction. Obviously the proposal for continuation was not carried either, nor was the vote no license carried, and the result is that no proposal being carried matters remain in statu quo, the practical result being continuance. A good deal of interest was naturally taken in the polling, and the number of voters was about the same as 1896. The vote for prohibition or no license had increased, however, by about one-third. The vote for reduction has risen from 5284 to 6324, and the vote for continuance decreased from nearly £.000 lo slightly under 7000. The work of the Prohibition party during the present contest has been taken in hand by the organisation known as the Council of Churches, and though the signs of activity were not so prominent as formerly, the work has manifestly been done with greater effect. During the day it was freely rumdured that reduction was certain to be carried, and that it was not altogether inprobable that a considerable majority, though not the required three-fifths, would be cast for no license.

The work of making up the returns wan very expeditiously performed by Mr James Taylor and his well organised staff, and before midnight the returns for the City licensing polls were Complete, and were as follows :

iion. Reduction, license. Garrison Hall .. 2589 2070 1959 Mornington Library 194 217 219 Mornington Council 222 826 332 High street School.. 99 158 136 Walker street Mission Hall .. 406 374 3G3 Kaikorai Mission Hall .. ..67 103 110 Eoalyn Council Chambers -. . 271 584 oil Maori Hill Council Chambers .. 118 103 123 North Dunedin Drill Shed .. ..128 137 128 Pine Hill School ..S3 15 12 North - East Valley School .. ..185 269 263 North - East Vall^ Council Chnmbers 92 11 ' 118 Upper Junction School .... 19 28 30 Ravensbourae 80 57 63 Arthur street Mission Hall .. ..301 302 - 308 Albany street School 291 306 312 Union strest School G36 805 759 George street School 332 34S 342 Norms 1 1 School .. 531 &16 521 St. Joseph's .. ..137 85 83 Seamen's votes . . 18 ' 7 4

: As explained in our introductory remarks, owing to the fact that the vote for reduction cannot be set off as against the vote for continuance, a majority of voters being required to carry reduction, no proposal has been carried, and licenses will remain for the ensuing three years under the already existing conditions.

In conneption with the city local option poll no les3 than 671 informal votes were casi ; but if the whole of these were' added to the totals for reduction or no license, the result Mould not be altered in any way. In one of the suburban polling booths about a' dozen votes were set down as informal as the voters l:ad recorded their vote for continuance and reduction. Tn ,the opinion of the deputyreturning officer, thepa two proposals stultified each other, but there is no informality about such a vote, and the3e vote 3 will be duly added to the returns by the returning officer.

CAVERSHAM.

For the Caversham electoral district a continuation of the existing licenses was carried by the very small majority of 17 vote?. The total number of votes cast was 4666, of which the three-fifth majority necessary to carry no-license would be 2799, and the number polled for this was 1986, or 991 short. Halving the total number of votes polled would give 2333, and the bare majority would necessarily be one in excess of that number. For continuation the votes cast were 2351. or a majority of 17 in its favour. When tho announcement was made that this result had been brought about very little demonstration "was made, but surprise was quietly expressed among a number of the bystanders at the smallness of the majority.

Continua-

2351 1524 198G Majority for continuance, 17; informal votes, Si

WAIKOUAITI

The following is the result of the local option poll taken in the Waikouaiti electorate. The figures may be affected by informal votes (the number of which is not yet ascertainable), but there will be no appreciable difference in the totals: —

TAIERI.

The details of ihe local option poll for the Taieri are given below. The total number of voters who recorded their votes was 3447. There not being a majority of those who voted in favour of any of the proposals, none of them were carried, the effect of which is to allow matters to remain as at present : — Con- Re- No- Intinue. duce. license, formal.

Totals. .. 1551 1329 1576 132 Tho following are the complete return 3to hand so far:

THE CLUTHA DISTRICT,

The local option voting returns for the Clutha district are no* complete, as two returns have yet to come to hand. Owing to the anomalous position in which Clutha stands in regard to the local option law (says the Free Jfress), not so much interest was taken in the result of the poll on Wednesday, it being realised that until the law is amended the vote is bound -to be inoperative in so far as reduction or restoration of licenses is concerned. So far as can be -judged in the absence of the official announcement as to the number of voters-, none of tho three proposals submitted was carried, the vote being 148 short-of- reduction and 172 short of prohibition. Information has been received, however, that at Tapanui those ballot papers on which one proposal only had been left uncancelled were wrongly rejected as informal, and a recount will have to be made. The detailed returns were: —

— d m a ° m "S no 3 § ~ S fc >4 tf £ Bflclutha (principal) ..238 290 309 572 Owaka 93 10D 136 233 Ahuriri 22 36 41 66 RaUnui 31 23 32 64 Houipapa 8 12 19 30 Katea 16 20 27 47 Purakauili .. ..7 11 15 23 Tahakopa (Lory's) ..0 0 9 16 Tahakopa (Scott's) ..24 22 2t 48 Chaslands .. ..15 11 18 33 Tahatika 22 30 46 71 Purckireki .. ..21 32 8 63 Port Alolyneux .. ..3-1 51 56 93 Rcniahapa .. ..43 42 41 67 Puerua 9 67 69 79 Waitcpeka 18 43 52 77 Warepa .. .„ ..39 76 89 131 Te Houka 17 20 37 56 Kaihiku 7 37 40 49 "Waiwcra 17 1 22 44 Waiwera Township ..36 63 79 118 Ashley Downs .. ..17 29 35 51 Rongahere .. .. — — — — Ointon 106 101 117 232 Wairuna 8 42 43 50 Poniahaka Downs ..5 12 13 19 Waipahi 26 71 66 102 Glenkeuich .. „19 43 42 63 Waikoikoi .. ..24 44 46 78 Lind's, Pomahaka ..40 23 31 75 Kelso 68 72 80 152 Tapanui 180 179 171 378 Arthurton 4 20 24 28 Kaiwera .. ... ..20 12 14 35 Slopedown * ■ .. ..5 6 5 11 Pukciau 46 60 60 110 Waikaka Valley .. ..13 58 66 81 Ivnnpdale .. ..19 42 42 55 Chalton 9 1 4 13 East Gore .. ..34 28 46 79 Clinton Gorge .. ..10 15 21 32 Merino Downs .. .. — — — — Roinareka .. ..2 5 9-11 1369 1883 2111 3670 Informal: — Balclutha, 33; Tahatika. 2; Waitepeka, o; Te Houka, 3; Kaihiku, 2; Waipahi, 5. Total, 55. COMPLETE RETURNS TO HAND. T.he following are the complete returns to hand so far, but in only a few instances have we been able to check these by the official returns : — AUCKLAND, a T . • § g - Licensing s ;» g District. .5 g .o Eesult. O CJ O o X te Auckland City 6839 6229 5785 Continuance Thames .. 2064 2080 2359 Continuance Parnell .. 2391 1902 1723 Continuance Waiapu .. 2417 1941 2558 Continuance Manukau .. 1963 1602 1327 Continuance Franklin .. 1727 1551 1746 Continuance TARANAKI. Taranaki .. 2622 1696 1872 Continuance Eg'iuout .. 2118 1054 1956 Continuance Hawera .. 1803 1417 1707 Continuance HAWKE'S BAY. Napier .. 1933 1797 1684 Continuance Waipawa .. 2015 1236 1703 Continuance Hastings .. 77 532 601 Void Hawke's Bay 77 632 611 Void

As there was no demand for a scrutiny of the votes in connection with the local option poll in Dunedin, made on Monday, a recount was unnecessary. The returning officer has duly declared that none of the proposals are carried. In regard to Caversham it will also be seen that continuance is declared to be carried. Reduction was carried in Oamaru by the narrow margin of two votes. The number of electors who voted at the local option poll at Waiapu was 5059. No proposal was carried. In the Bay of Plenty district the vote was in favour of a continuance of licenses by a substantial majority. Incomplete returns from Marsden, Ohinemuri, Manukau, Eden, Bay of Islands, Waitomata, Pahiatua, and Selwyn indicate no change. In Kaiapoi no license was lost by 76 votes. / THE PREVIOUS POLL. , For the purposes of comparison, we repro- * duce below a table showing the result throughout the colony of the licensing poll taken on December 4, 1896. From this table it will be seen, that in a number of cases not any of the proposals was carried, and that other districts were in the same position as Dunedin is at present ; but, as already mentioned, there is no practical difference so far as the carrying pn of the trade is concerned ■between the ad6ption of the vote for continuance and the_ failure to carry any of the proposals submitted. The table referred to is as follows 1 : —

(Faoxi Oue. Own Correspondent.; WELLINGTON, December 10. The New Zealand Times, which had changed its policy to ono of independence in politics,but has, since the recent election, gone right round to Seddonism again, foreshadows a change in our licensing legislation. In a leading article it hays: — "Remembering the envenomed hostility which was the only reward tho Prohibitionists gave him for helping to paes the local option law now on the Statute Book, Mr Seddon cannot be expected to offer very strong resistance to certain amendments of that law, which experience has shown to be desirable. The rejection of the Prohibitionists and their creed by the people would, by a courageous politician, be accepted as a direction co modify provisions that are unduly favourable to the Prohibitionists. It is probable that .Parliament will during the coming session be asked to amend the Alcoholic Liquor Sales Control Act by striking out the ' reduction ' issue from the voting paner, and by qualifying the harshness of the provisions regarding endorsement of licenses." AN EXPLANATION. The difficulty of understanding the res-tilts arrived at by the T ecent licensing polls, under the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act, has caused a good deal of trouble to some, anc' has excited not a little interest n the minds of a fiood. paaoy people. The question is some-

what intricate and perplexing. There is even an impression abroad that in some way or other an unfair advantage is taken of the total abstinence party by the method of voting. As a simple matter of fact the present act was passed at the instance of the Antiliquor party, and by the votes of the temperance section of Parliament. "The present act , is an amendment of the previous one, under which it is now seen, it would have been much rr.cre easy to assail the liquor traffic, though when the latter act was in operation i"t was considered by the Prohibition party to require improvement. Some of the confusion which now exists upon the question arises from the fact that the provisions of the repealed act are confounded with the provisions of the present one. Under the old act the same three questions were submitted — (1) continuance, (2) reduction, (3) no license; but each voter had then to vote for one only of the questions submitted, and the votes for "no license " were added to the votes for " reduction," and counted as having been* given for that proposal if the jnajority required to carry prohibition wae not recorded. That has now been done away with, and under the present act every voter may votd for either one or two of the three proposals submitted; but in ascertaining tne result the number lof voters is counted — not the number of votes, — since the voters on one side almost uniformly give two votes each (voting for both reduction and prohibition), while those on the other can give only one — a vote for continuance. In order, therefore, to tell what has been . carried, or whether any one of the three propositions has been carried, it' is necessary to ascevtain, firsv of all, the tolal number of ballot papers used — that is, the number of persons who voted. Informal votes are not counted. A few voters record contradictory votes, voting both for and against reduction, the one vote, of course, neutralising the other, but the ballot paper bo used still represents a voter to be taken into account in the total. ' The number of such, however, must be so small as to be hardly worth considering, though it is quite possible, when the division is a close one, for a proposition to be lost through these voces. We have already accurately explained the result of the poll for the City of Dunedin, < but further explanation seems desirable, , as, i unless the question is looked into pretty ' closely, it is quite mysterious and perplexing ; indeed, it is very likely that in some cases where the reports to hand record "reduction " or " continuance " as having been carried, the real fact is thjt not any one of tho proposals has been affirmed by the votes of ; the people, and that the conditions remain, ' as in Dunedin, unaffected by the poll. As to the vote for prohibtion, there is little room for misapprehension, since on the face of tho returns it is readily apparent that the threefifths majority required has not been secured ; \ but, upon the other proposals, " conlinuauce" j or " reduction " fov which a simple majority j is needed, misunderstandings easily arise, as people will Insist upon comparing the ■number of votes on these questions respectively,— placing the one as against the other. Nothing but a mere guess can be given as to the actual result in numbers of cases when tfie return does not show'" the number of the i people who voted, and that is ascertained only by counting the valid voting papers. As mentioned on Thursday morning," the number | of valid ballot papers at the recent licensing poll foi the City licensing district, which is i the electoral district of Dunedin, is 15,522, and consequently 7762 votes for " continuance " or " reduction " would have carried j either proposition by a majority of One vote. The number given for reduction — 6924 — is, as previously stated, 833 short of what was required to carry that proposal. Of course, that was the number, on the assumption that the total vote was — as, in fact, it was — 15,522, and to secure it the votes must have come from the other proposals, and not merely have been added to the votes already given, or the total would have been increased and a i slill larger number needed to give a bare ma- ! jority of one. • ! As to this, however, there need be no mis- j conception, and upon examination it will ] be seen to be perfectly honest and fair. What is commonly lost sight of is that a number of people who are willing that prohibition should be carried decline to vote for reduction, not deeming it right that the licensing committee should be compelled to reduce the number of hotels and inflict hardship upon ( individuals concerned in the liquor trade, | while others are allowed to prosecute their calling under, presumably, more favourable conditions, so far as profit-making is concerned. The attitude these people assume is that it" is fairer and better to destroy the traffic by a substantial vote than to merely^ harass it upon a bt»re majority vole, "and con- ' sequently they decline to vote for reduction. When it is realised that lo vote for prohibition only means that, failing prohibition being carried, the "trade" is to be left alone, the rosult of the voting is manifest. ' - Assuming that no .conflicting voles were given on the bame ballot paper, such as a person voting for "continuance" and "reduction " — and there must have been fow such, — then at tho recent poll for tho City 1799 persons voted for reduction only. These votes, added to the votes for continuance, when it becomes a question of " continuance " as against " reduction," bring the total of what is practically the vote for non-interfer-ence with the Irani up to 8598, although the actual votes on the return amount to 6319; and it is that total of £593 that those who favour reduction would have to beoi by a majority of out in order to succeed. On Wednesday last they came' ehort of this number by 1675 votes. It might be asked why should not the votes of those who voted only for " prohibition " be added to reduction, and so in fact they would be as d&iinst " continuance " being carried, since they are added merely to show the number of voters, in order t:> see if a majority have recorded their votes in favour of any ono of the proposals submitted. Of course, the total number of votes is precisely ascertained by counting the number of the ballot' papers, and we have merely assumed, foi the purpose of illustration, that the votes of those who must have voted for prohibition only have been added to the vote fo" continuance. They really operate against whichever proposition happens to have an apparent majority. It is the only- way in which a simultaneous vote upon thre2 questions with the option of voting in favour either of one or of two of them could with fairness be taken, and the mind of the majority of the voters ascertained. i

The result, therefore, as was slated on Thursday morning, is that not one of the three proposals was favoured by an absolute majority of the electors who voted upon the questions, and that in the absence of any proposition to the contrary being carried, the licensed victuallers will contimie to prosecute their railing under the previously existing conditions.

Comparison of the local option polling for Tuapeka with the voting in 1896 shows that on the last occasion there were- 84- votes less

cast for continuance, 198 more for reduction and 255 more for no license. In 1896 the vote for continuance exceeded that for no license by 842 : this year it exceeds it by - 533. What^-would be the effect of carrying reduction in Clutha, >vith its one license? The act says that the committee can only reduce the number of licenses by the maximum of 25 per cent. But there is a proviso that tho number of licenses must be reduced by one afc least if the number existing does not exceed 10. Obviously the committee cannot reduce a single license by 25 per cent, and the presumption is that the solitary license in Olutha can only be abolished by carrying no license. _ The Oamaru Mail, referring to the local option poll for Oamaru, says: — From our own count of the figures returned officially it-would appear that reduction has been carried by the narrow majority of three votes. There were 3908 voting papers issued, and the informal votes are returned at 113. This would leave an available vote of 3795. The bare majorilj' of these necessary to carry reduction would be 1898, and as the reduction" poll \va3 1900, the reductionists should secure their aim by a majority of three. It was at first thought that reduction had been carried in Bruce, but this was found to be a mistake, inasmuch as the number polled for that proposal was S6 short of the bare majority required,to carry it. The latest returns show that Ohinemuri is about 200 short of the vole necessary to carry prohibition. The present licensing arrange* ments will continue. .•lff the Kaiapoi district reduction Tequired 81 more vote 3, and no license 158 more votes,to caryy them. This was supposed to be a' prohibition .district. The-returns for AVaibcmo are not complete, but the poll i 3i 3 known lo be void. The voting was:— Continuance, 66; reduction, 755; n& license, 606. - The Prohibition party is not satisfied with the polls taken at Milburn, Wangaloa, «nd Pukepito. It is alleged that the votes foi reduction were "not stated in declaring th« results. From these places the official returns were stated as nil. — Bruce Herald.*

Continuance. Reduction. Nolicecs Port Chalmers (principal) .. 543 Hawksbury . . 142 Merton . . . . 12 Seacliff . .. .. 98 Evansdale . . 58 TVaitati .. ' .. 82 Purakanui v ..24 Mount Cargill .. 31 Lower Harbour 16 Sawyers' Bay .. 75 St. Lsonards . . 43 llothesay . . 80 iiighcliff .. .. ' 37 Sandymount . . 26 Worth-East Harbour 29 Broad Bay . . 24 Hooper's Inlet . . 32 Portobello . . 72 Otakou 12 549 172 62 33 12 55 60 23 11 75 32 102 68 35 4 3 27 61 62 500 42 64 42 13 73 64 21 18 85 31 107 81 36 4 32 31 7G 64 Totals .. 1441 1356 1257

Naumann's Hall Caversharu St. Ciair .., St. Peter's .. Kensington . . Parkside . „ Musselburgh Shiel HUI .. Anderson's Bay St.' Kilda " . . ' \7esleyan School tion. '. 937 399 73 21C 150 69 160 18 80 16G 83 Red duct ion. 496 395 80 211 SG 76 71 19 82 104 194 license. 661 419 69 201 87 77 76 19 84 97 196

Licensing District. 3 .s o 1 S 13 Result. . £ " Bay of Islands.. Marsden . . Waitcmata Eden City of Auckland Parnell Mamiicau Franklin Thames Ohincinuri Waikato Bay of Plenty.. Wtviapu .. Hawke's Bay . . Napier . . Waipawa Vuhiatua Masterton Wairarapa Ecrmont.. Taranaki Hawera . . Patea . . Wanjjanui Rangitikci Palmerston Manawatu Otaki .. Wellington Suburbs City of Wel-j lington City of Kelson.. Motueka Wairau .. Buller .. Grey Westland Ashley . . Kaiapoi Avon City of Christ-] church . . Lyttelton ]iiccarton Ellouncre Schvyn .. Ashbui i ton Gera'.dine Timaru .. Waitaki Oainaru . . „ Waihemo Waikouaiti Dunedin City.. Cayorsham Taieri .. Bruce Tuapeka Clutha . . ■ Mataura.. Wakatipu Wallace . . Invercarjjill Awarua 14S1 ! •12S1 1740 1809 j 0269 i 1926 1694 1050 2017 2066 1077 1699 1911 2162 2086 2010 1417 1789 2142 1553 2068 1440 1354 2307 2120 1701 1777 1780 2000 0820 2120 1072 2530 2281 2134 2196 1936 2071) 1817 834 1381 1220 1449 5317 1538 1239 1670 1532 1144 901 1093 1610 1210 1769 1093 1106 1210 1048 1251 1815 1531 1094 1591 1208 1255 1030 747 1059 5663 3310 802 1160 ISB7 1120 050 934 -1071 980 i : 892 IDS 3 1314 1472 4783 1360 1161 1607 1775 1533 039 1131 IS9G 1524 1627 1444 1561 1423 1161 1527 2007 1794 1295 1748 1469 1274 1221 629 1023 4951 1020 854 1123 1498 1127 OS2 11&0 1796 97!> I Continuance No proposal Continuance Continuance No proposal Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuances Continuance Continuance Continuance No proposal Continuance Continuance Continuance No p.roposal Continuance Continuanco Continuance No proposal 'No propoial No proposal Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance I No proposal Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance 8235 2004 2108 1053 1337 2100 1938 2060 1751 2103 1880 1635 7897 2726 1590 1411 1894 1618 2145 1973 1051 2558 1052 5932 1048 992 1078 1102 1328 IUO 15'il 1317 1603 1120 1187 5281 1542 1098 1423 945 1030 I 1431 778 754 1770 959 5261 1120 940 1173 1184 1565 1422 1560 1625 1615 1294 1278 4466 126J 1124 1541 1052 1989 1057 940 1027 1824 1113 Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance No proposal Continuance No proposal Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuance Continuanco

WELLINGTON. Manawatu .. 1683 1171 1426 Continuance Masterton .. 1861 1668 1988 Continuance Wellington C 7319 6124 5190 Continuance Wellington S 1939 1859 2120 Continuance Pahiatua .. 1400 1013 1092 Continuance Wanganui .. 2795 1731 2162 Continuance NELSON. Buller .. 1028 933 1014 Continuance WESTLAND. Grey .. ..2734 1148 990 Continuance CANTERBTJKY. Ashley .. 1725 995 1285 Continuance Riccarton .. 1551 1020 1352 Continuance Avon . .. 2187 1504 1592 Continuance Christchurch C 8889" 6383 6538 Continuance Timaru .. 1938 186S 1922 No proposal Sehvyn .. 1706 1264 1162 Continuance Kaiapoi .. 1715 1945 2235 Continuance Waitaki .. 1739 119& 1510 Continuance Ashburton .. 1901 1727 2021 Continuance Geraldine ... 1832 1114 1490 .Continuance OTAGO. Dunedin .. 6564 6944 6774 No proposal Bruce .. .. 1519 1698 1967 No proposal Caversham .. 2351 1974 1986 Continuance Invercargill .. 2228 2172 2300 Continuance luapeka .. 1810 1143 1277 Continuance Oarnaru . . 1663 1893 1975 Reduction Wakatipu .. 1933 1030 1266 Continuance Waikouaiti .. 1454 1196 1495 Continuance Taieri .. .. 1603 1560 1606 No proposal

Mosgiel .. ..418 Fairfield .. .. 49 Outram . . . . '145 North Taieri .. 62 Aiaungatua . . 35 Brighton .. .. 34. OtaJda .. .. 27 "Whare Flat .. 1G Berwick . . . . 44 Middlemarch •. . 188 llindoa .. .. 17 Allanton . . . . 109 Wakari .. •.. 83 Burnside . . . . S9 Green Island .. 178 Green Island Bush 20 Lee Stream .. 17 Deep Stream . . 20 Leith Valley .. — 402 73 159 79 49 31 23 17 38 85 19 60 73 63 137 11 7 3 453 75 186 85 55 55 24 16 49 95 25 93 74 82 173 13 12 11 46 6 10 .6 1 8 7 15 11 6 15 1