The Licensing Elections.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1799, 24 February 1886, Page 2

The Licensing Elections.

In almost every district in the colony “ the moderate party ” have been victors in the recent elections of Licensing Committees, while the ultra-temperance candidates have been mostly beaten, At Wellington, the moderate party gained the day in the Thotndon, Lambton, and Te Aro Wards, while the ultra-teetotal men carried the Cook Ward. In Auckland the moderate party had the best of it. In Napier, the moderates beat the temperance men by nearly 8 to 1 votes. In Christchurch, the old Committee, supported by both moderate party and publicans, were returned by a majority of two to one over the temperance candidates. In Timaru the tempernuce men were badly beaten. And the same result has been achieved pretty well alt over the colony. The reason of this is not far to seek, The teetotal party declared they meant fo go in for the total prohibition of tile traffic- an<J {or shutting up all the hotels in the colony. They meant to shut all the hotels they could immediately, and go in for total prohibition a little later on. Sir William Fox and Mr Glover plainly declared their policy in several of their recent speeches. Well, the majority of the colonists do not believe in “ total prohibition,” and so to prevent any violent ohauges being attempted, the bulk of the candidates elected as members of Licensing Committees are men of moderate views, whose objects are to improve the character of the existing hotels, and, while recognising the necessity of the liquor trade, at the same time to endeavour to have it regularly and properly conducted. *' Prohibition ” is only a vague dream of the future. There is no chance of realising anything of the kind in the present.