LICENSING POLLS

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 275, 26 November 1935, Page 6

LICENSING POLLS

NATIONAL AND LOCAL PROCEDURE OUTLINED Beside the general licensing poll this year, votes on the question of restoration in no-license areas will he taken ,the districts in which there will * f * be a dual referendum including Masterton, Wellington East, Wellington South and Wellington Suburbs. For the purposes of the Licensing Act, the electoral districts aro the licensing districts, except in the four main centres. In Wellington the license ing district is comprised of the electoral districts of Wellington North and Wellington Central; in Auckland the licensing district incorporates the electoral districts of Auckland East, Auckland West aud Auckland Central; in Christchurch, tiho licensing district embraces Christchurch East, Christchurch North and Christchurch South: in Dunedin the licensing district covers Dunedin North, Dunedin West and Dunedin Central.

Tho present no-Heense districts are: Auckland Suburbs, Eden, Grey Lynn, Roskiill, Masterton, Wellington East, Wellington South, Wellington Suburbs, Oamaru, Ciutha, Matanra and Invercargill.

Electoral and Justice Department officers explained recently that in all districts a votje will be taken this year’, electors being required to vote for national continuance, national prohibition, or purchase and control by tho State. In each of the no-license districtls a local restoration poll will be held also, tjho voter having to declare either for local restoration or for local n<j license.

Residents in no-license areas, therefore, will 'exercise two votes on the licensing question —one on tho national ipsue and one on the local question. A bare majority decides the national poll, but in the local restoration polls there must be three-fifths of t>he votes in favour of restoration before this cotaes about. Tf prohibition is adopted nationally, he present hotel licenses will remain

in force for the period for which they were granted, ain|d then automatically lapse. Licensing committees usually renew licenses year by year and in siucih hotels prohibition, if adopted, would become effective next June.

If a no-license area-adopts restoration, the procedure then is for a poll to be taken for the election of ia licensing committee of five members. For this election the same system and the same roll is used as for the election of members of the House of Representatives. A magistrate becomes ex-officio chairman of the committee. The election has to be held in March and the annual meeting of the committee has to Ipe in June. At this meeting the .committee must allocate the hotel licenses for the district. The number of licenses granted must not exceed one for every 500 persons in the district or be less than ove for every 1000 inhabitants. In Wellington East there were 16,000 votes at the last election, in Wellington South over 1400 and in Wellington. Suburbs clearly 17,000.

The licensing Act includes a (preference clause by which the committee, in determining applications for licenses, musll give (preference to owners of premises which were subject to a license at the coming into effect of W license.

The only district in which restoration has been carried after a period of no license is Ohinemnri, incorporating Waihi and Paeroa, which carried restoration in 1925, after being a nolieetaise district from 1900. The majority was under 50 votes.