THE LICENSING POLLS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 29, 19 September 1911, Page 8

THE LICENSING POLLS.

SOME NECESSARY INFORMATION As the general 'elections, with the attendant licensing polls, are near at hand, and as even before national prohibition was included in the programme much confusion existed as to tlie proper manner to proceed about voting, we shall endeavour to place the matter as clearly as possible before the electors. The Licensing Amendment Act passed in 1910, besides making provision for the taking of a national prohibition poll similtaneous with the local option poll, also very materially altered the forms of voting papers to be used. Thus in districts where licenses exist two lines now only have to be dealt with—namely,:— I vote for Continuance. I vote for No-licensp. In districts where No-liccnsc prevails, a paper with different wording will be submitted:— I vote for Local Restoration. I vote for Local No-license. Then there are the national prohibition papers:— I vote against National Prohibition. I vote for National Prohibition. In each of the above cases the striking out of the top lines denotes a preference for No-license; but should both lines be eliminated, or neither struck out, such papers will bo invalid. So as to avoid as much confusion as possible .at the local option and national prohibition polls, the respective papers will be of different colouiv ■ Losal Option. Each electoral district constituted in New Zealand for the election of a member of the House of Representatives is a licensing district, and electors for the House of Representatives are also electors under the licensing laws. The three electorates of the cities of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin in each case form one electorate for the purpose of taking a local option poll. The local uo-license and national .prohibition polls are taken on the same day as the general election of members of the House of Reprcsontatives. At every licensing poll there shall oe submitted for the determination of the electors of every licensing district (other than a uo-license district) the question of whether licenses shall continue in that district. The method of determining the result of the poll in each district by the Returning Officer is as follows: (1) If the number of votes recorded in favour of the continuance of existing licenses is an absolute majority of all the voters whose votes wore recorded, the proposal is deemed to ho carried, and the licenses continue as they are until next poll, subject to certain provisions in special cases. ■ If, as the result of a previous decision, there be no licenses existing in x district the questions submitted :o the electors of such district shall be whether licenses be restored or not restored, "but a three-fifths majority in mvour of restoration is needed >u niter to canj' that issue. Should the results of a census prove that the population of a district has increased by 25 per cent since the previous census, then a proposal as to whether there shall be an increase of licenses granted or not shall be submitted to the electors. Should the proposal for increase receive a threefifths majority, additional licenses may be granted at the rate of one license for* every 700 people of such increase ,n the district.National Prohibition. At every licensing poll there shall ie submitted to the determination if the electors of each licensing district the question whether national prohibition, shall come into force throughout New Zealand. If the total number of votes recorded in favour .if national prohibition is not less than three-fifths of the total number of the votes so recorded throughout New Zealand, the determination of the electors shall he deemed to ho in favour if national prohibition; and this determination shall, when it comes into force, supercede the determination of the electors of any licensing district. Any such determination in favour of national prohibition shall come into force on the expiration of four years if ter the date of the general election on Avhich'the licensing polls were taken and shall remain in force until superseded by a determination of the exectors in favour of restoration. • ( National Restoration. At the first general election of members of Parliament which is held after the expiration of three years from the day of the coming into force of the determination of the electors in favour of national prohibition, and at every general election thereafter so long as that determination remains in force, a licensing poll shall be taken, amd at that poll there shall he submitted to the electors of cadi licensing district the question whether licenses shall he restored in the Dominion. If the roslilt of the polls is that the total number of votes recorded in favour of the proposal that licenses he restored is not less than three-fifths of all the votes recorded, than that proposal shall lie deemed to he carried. Any determination in favour of restoration shall come into force on the expiration of three months. Bottle Licenses. No bottle licenses are to ho granted or renewed. Employment of Barmaids. Under the Licensing Amendment Act of 1910 employment, of barmaids is prohibited. No female is permitted to servo in any capacity in flic liar of any licensed promises while the bar is open for sale of liquor with fho exception of (a) the wife, sister, or daughter of the licensee; (h) the licensee being a woman ;. (c) any parson registered as a barmaid.