THE LICENSING POLL

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14259, 9 January 1920, Page 5

THE LICENSING POLL

VOTES NEARLY ALL IN. PROHIBITION MINORITY 2968. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The prohibition minority is now 2968, with the votes from two transports to come. PROHIBITION DELEGATE’S VIEWS. THE POWER OF THE TRADE. ONLY ONE MORE FIGHT. ((United Press Association.) (Received Jan. 9, 11.25 a.m.) SYDNEY, January 9. Speaking at a welcome to the \lliance delegates who have returned from New Zealand after participating in the prohibition campaign, Rev. J. Hammond said that numbers of alleged informal votes had been wrongfully put aside. The liquor.trade was so strong in New Zealand that they were able absolutely to cloud the issue, in April and December. He concluded by saying that the energy of the Prohibitionists somewhat lagged in December, as they were buffering from a sort of war weariness, but in spite of these setbacks prohibition was coming in New Zealand, and the next light there on this issue vyould probably be the last one. (Bv Telegraph.—Press Association.) V ' Y WELLINGTON, Friday.

In reference to the Sydney cable of Eev. J. Hammond’s remarks Rev. J. Dawson, secretary of the New Zealand Alliance, says that there must have been some confusion in the minds of the Australian organisers when they left on the day after the poll, as there was in the minds of many others. On the polling day there was a good deal of confusion in regard to absent voters’ permits from no license electorates. In several electorates the Deputy-Return-ing Officer refused to give those absent voters two voting papers on national prohibition and local restoration, which, of course, applied only to no-lieense electorates. It has been revealed at the official count that 163 persons did not get local restoration papers.