The Pahiatua Herald. with which is incorporated THE PAHIATUA STAR. Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 1894.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 127, 24 March 1894, Page 2

The Pahiatua Herald. with which is incorporated THE PAHIATUA STAR. Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 1894.

The Licensing Elections are over, and have throughout the country awakened the people to a fuller knowledge of the formidable power of the Prohibitionists. All along the line their heavy polling came as a surprise to almost everyone, and demonstrated the fact that their movement has made much greater progress than most people supposed. Even in the Masterton electoral district the Temperance vote has, as far as can bs ascertained up to the present, been strong enough to secure a reduction in the number of licenses, though at the same time a committee of men of moderate views has been returned. With them, therefore, now rests the task of giving effect to the wish of the electors and reducing the number of licensed houses in the electorate. The Act empowers them to make reductions up to 25 per cent., but leaves it discretionary with them as to the number of reductions they will make up to that piint. There are certain clauses for their guidance, which provide that the first licenses to be forfeited shall be those which, since the passing of the Act, have been endorsed for treaties of the law, and after that those which have least accommodation for travellers. There is no doubt that had a committee been returned the majority of whose members were inclined to Prohibition, full advantage would have been taken of the Act to close up the one fourth of the numbers of hotels in the district. As it is, however, it can be taken for granted that the members will consider well before they make so drastic a change, and will take no such decided step without first thoroughly considering the consequences. The election itself proved that in several respects the Act was defective. In the local option poll three issues were placed before the electors, two of which, however, in many electorates were quite superfluous. In the Masterton e’» torate, for example, th» electors were asked to decide with respect to accommodation licenses, none of which exist within the district. Nevertheless it was found that quite a large number voted that the number of these licenses should be reduced. In most districts, too, the vote concerning bottle licenses was unnecessary. Yet, notwithstanding, that these were manifestly absurd, the voting papers of those electors who simply decided the first proposal and left untouched the lines regarding the other two were held to be informal and wero so counted. To our mind the three proposals should have been taken as three separate papers and an elector allowed to vote in respect of the first without interfering with the other two. No provision is made for an increase of licenses, and it is clear therefore that where there do not now exist accomadation or bottle licenses there never can be any, unless in the very improbable event of a sudden and rapid increase of population. There is too much diversity of opinion concerning the question of these informal votes and the matter is likely to be made the subject of litigation. At any rate it accentuates the fact that the voting papers, as issued on Wednesday, are far too cumbersome and intricate for the ordinary elector, and that in future elections the issues will have to be narrowed down to the plain question of licenses or no licenses.