HEAVY PROHIBITION VOTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3396, 16 April 1919, Page 17

HEAVY PROHIBITION VOTE.

Thursday was the eventful day which is to decide whether New Zealand is to retain alcohol liquor or to go "dry," and the community forgot for the time its interest in Peace Conference news and other matters which are affecting the world, and concentrated its attention on the special licensing poll.' The fact that the soldiers' votes have yet to be counted makes it impossible to give tho complete . figures regarding the voting for the whole, dominion. The 34,341 soldiers' votes will, of course, alter these figures. . . For some years tho question whether liquor should be retained or abolished has been eagerly debated, and periodically the matter has been made th"e subject of a referendum. The first national prohibition poll was held in 1911, a three-fifths majority being required to carry prohibition. Of 465,604 valid votes recorded, _ 259,943, or 55.83 per cent, were for prohibition, and 205,661, or 44.17 per cent., against this measure. However, 31,364 more votes were oast for local continuance than against national prohibition, and 25,287 more votes were cast for national prohibition than for local no-license. At the 1914 poll, 257,442 persons.voted for continuance, and. 247,217 for prohibition, and 16,963. more votes were recorded for local continuance or restoration than against national prohibition, and 17,743 more votes were cast for national prohibition than for local rio-license. The campaign leading up to Thursday's poll has been a strenuous one. For months past, especially since the date of the referendum was definitely fixed, able advocates of continuance and of prohibition have kept the platforms throughout New Zealand continually occupied, and bombarded a patient public with yards of statistics, masses of facts and alleged facts, with argument, threat, and.cajolery. ; One speaker has told the public that wine is a mocker; another, that it should take a little wine for its stomach's sake. The prohibitionists have been the more active, if anything; but their .opponents have been by no means *idle. The contest continued unabated up till the closing of the polls on Thursday. All day long the workers on both sides applied themselves to ensuring, -as far as possible, that every qualified person should cast his or her vote. The transport of voters to the : polling places was well organised, and throughout, the day motor cars and other conveyances were busily occupied running to and fro. The shops and places of business closed at 1 o'clock to enable employees to register their - votes. The ladies mustered in strong force, and showed a keen sense, of civic responsibility' in recording their votes, though whether their zeal was pro or anti-liquor is a secret that must remain with the ballot papers.

. Throughout the day the city streets were by no means thronged with people; in fact, generally speaking, it was difficult to imagine that an election was in progress. This was especially the case in the early part of the day. As the afternoon wore on larger numbers wended their way to the different polling booths, and towards closing time the streets in the vicinity of the principal booths assumed a busy aspect. It was, however, a sober, orderly crowd that stood about the different booths. Motor oars were much in evidence. The cars running, in the interests of the prohibition jjarty had a placard bearing the word "Efficiency" printed in large red letters on the Wind shield. "As these cars drew up at the various polling -booths it was seen that their human freight consisted principally of women, the majority being young, and were probably registering their votes, for the first time. 1% fact, some of, those who entered the booths did not look as if they had attained their majority, and there 1 ' was not wanting those among the onlookers who stated emphatically that some of those who voted had not yet attained their majority. Be that as it may, there is no denying the fact that the women of Dunedin played a most important part in Thursday's poll. Although motor cars were much in evidence the drivers of most of the vehicles adhered to the regulations governing the traffic. In somo. instances the speed limits must have been exceeded, but such breaches were not very noticeable.

Voting proceeded steadily throughout the day, and \an efficient organisation enabled everything to work smoothly. The hotels were compelled to shut at noon, out they elected to close for the day. While everything was.' perfectly quiet, it was evident that the interest of the- public in the result of the poll was intense, and speculation was rife. ' There seomed to be a fairly general idea that prohibition would carry the day, and the sporting fraternity were disinclined to lay odds on the result either' way. The poll closed at 7 .p.m., and shortly afterwards the results began to become available. A very largo crowd assembled In front of the Times atvi Witness office, where the results were displayed as they arrived from all over New Zealand. Each set of figures, as it came to hand, was thrown on a screen by a kinerhatograph, and the tabulated results were also shown on a hoarding. In the intervals between the arrival of results, the people were kept amused by the exhibition of lantern slides. As the figures began to come to hand freely with the progress of the evening, they became very demonstrative, ■ and cheers and occasional hisses as large majorities were posted up served to indicate pleasure or the reverse. Early in the evening the figures began to show in most cases a majority for prohibition, but the fact that most of the results were incomplete blunted to some extent the keenness of the interest that this fact would otherwise have excited

The final results, of course, will not be available until the soldiers' votes, which are to be counted in Wellington, have been dealt with.

The issues were so clearly and simply put on the voting papers that one would have thought it impossible for any person of the slightest intelligence not to have recorded a valid vote. This, however, was not the casej and at South .Dunedin, for instance, no fewer than 61 invalid papers wore received. . -

A feature of the poll was the number of absent voters' permit that were dealt with. These were ai record for the dominion in any previous poll. Prominent supporters of continuance, who were interviewed when the interim result of the poll was announced, expressed complete optimism regarding the final triumph of their cause. The soldiers' votes, they thought, would turn the scale in favour of license. "The soldiers have beaten the Huns," said one gentleman, "and they will beat the prohibitionists." Mr Oharles Todd, who has been a prominent worker on behalf of the prohibition cause throughout the campaign, said that, while it was unsafe to base an opinion on the latest figures, he was a little disappointed with the results so far. He had anticipated a majority of 20,000 votes on the returns for the dominion, if the Prohibition Party was to win the day, because he considered, that the soldiers' votes would show a majority of about two-thirds in favour of continuance. He thought, however, that the No-license Party could yet count on increasing their lead from the electorates from which the returns had not yet been received. " The poll is in such a position," concluded Mr Todd, "that it is going to be a very interesting go, and in the present position of things I should not be inclined to be altogether optimistic."