The Licensing- Polls.

Southland Times, Issue 18020, 16 December 1902, Page 2

The Licensing- Polls.

MORE COMPLICATIONS.

The recount of tho votes cast at tho Awarua licensing poll was made on Saturday at Winton, under the supervision of Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M. The result showed : Continuance, 1499 (5 less than before), reduction, 1858 (4G more than originally), and no-license 2208 (3 less than before). Reduction has thus been carried by one and a half votes, and no-license lost by 19 and four-fifths votes. The large increase in the reduction vote was caused by 45 votes for “ reduction and no-license ” at the Woodend booth being returned as if for no-license only. The result of the recount has not been officially declared, but has been adjourned owing to a difficulty cropping up. It, is supposed that two of the votes from Longbush have got mixed up with the electoral papers and forwarded to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, that official being the proper custodian of the parcels -of ballot papers used at the parliamentary elections throughout the colony. Bylaw he is required to retain them unopened unless he is commanded to the contrary by a competent court or by Parliament; and after the expiration of a year they are to be burnt, still without being opened. No one has any authority to break the seals. Consequently there is no legal process by which local option papers improperly sealed up in a parcel of electoral ballot papers can be recovered.

The same thing has occurred in connection with the Mataura poll. The deputy returning officer at me of the booths in tlie Mataura elect irate is said to have, negligently placed th? iml'ct papers that were used for the. pu -pose of the parliamentary election an 1 the local option papers in one jiaccil, sealed i>im up, and forwarded them '.j He C'nk if the House. Thus, while It If t. own where these partic r.ar paper*, wl’i-.h should have been for.vxrdca to '.be f'le-i--of the Magistf'te's Court, are to ba found, they are absolutely bey ~1.1 reach. It is, therefore, difficult to see how the recounts in Mataura and Awtv.'.ia tin prove other than abortive.

THE PRICE OF LIQUOR,

NO 3d DRINKS IN INVERCARGILL,

At a meeting of the hotel proprietors of the Invercargill Electorate License Association, held yesterday afternoon at lhe Association's rooms, Esk street, tho following resolution was unanimously agreed to ; —“ That we, the of the electorate of Invercargill, pledge ourselves to conform strictly to tho law, and hereby form ourselves into a Vigilance Committee, and severally agreo to report any breach of the Licensing Law to the Association.”

The meeting unanimously agreed to miv.ee the price oi all refreshments not less than Gd on and after tilts 22nd of December, and a preliminary agreement to this effect was signed by all those present at the meeting.

The difficulties experienced in carrying out the strict, letter of the law was fully discussed, and a strong feeling expressed Hint the hotel bars should bo closed from Saturday night at 11 o'clock until Monday morning, not allowing either boarders or travellers to obtain any liquor. Such a restriction was, however, considered inadvisable and contrary to the Licensing Act.

The meeting was a record one, all tha hotelkeepers with the exception of three being present or represented by letter agreeing to resolutions passed by tho meeting. Per United Press Association. WAI’MATE, Dec. 15 At the Magistrate's Court to-day Alfred Harris, licensee of the Empire Hotel, was fined £3 for Sunday trading and the license endorsed. The fine was raised to £5 Is to allow of an appeal. In a similar case against Brian Flynn, licensee of the Criterion Hotel, judgment was held over by Major Keddel, S.M., till Wednesday. OAMARU, Dec. 15. At a meeting of the No-License Association held here this evening, at which tho Rev. P. W. Fairclough and Mr 11. D, Bedford, M.H.H., were present, a resolution was passed strongly protesting againstthe proposal to grant a license for the sale of intoxicating liquors at Raratonga.