H—3B

174. In 1905 Grey Lynn, Oamaru, and Invereargill carried no-license. 175. It may be indicative of the apprehension felt by prominent members of the licensed trade at this time that a new company, Hancock and Co. (N.Z.), Ltd., was incorporated in London in the year 1906 to take over the brewery, wine, and spirit business and the hotels of the Auckland company of Hancock and Co., Ltd. The price paid by the English company was £172,440. It carried on its trading operations in New Zealand as a foreign company through its appointed attorneys, whose duties were to manage its trading operations in the Dominion and transmit accounts and accumulated funds to London at stated intervals. Particulars of the company's accounts and capital operations were not transmitted to New Zealand. 176. In 1908 Eden, Ohinemuri, Masterton, Wellington South, Wellington Suburbs, and Bruce carried no-license. These six electorates, with the others which had retained no-license, made a total of twelve electorates under no-license. It seemed that the country was going steadily against the liquor trade. 177. In 1910 the Licensing Amendment Act of that year took away the right to vote for reduction of licenses in each no-license district and made provision as follows : (1) For a poll in all districts on the question of national continuance or national prohibition ; (2) For a poll in every license district on the question of local continuanc'e or local no-license ; and (3) For a poll in every no-license district on the question of local restoration or local no-license. If national prohibition were carried, there was to be a poll on national restoration. In the case of all polls, a three-fifths majority was required to carry a proposal. 178. The amending Act of 1910 also provided that no licensing poll under the Act should affect the proclaimed areas under the King-country Licenses Act, 1909. The Act of 1910 also provided that, except upon a restoration of licenses and where there was a sudden increase in population in a county or road district outside a county, no new publican's license was to be issued, except when a publican's license had been forfeited or not renewed or had otherwise ceased to exist. The employment of barmaids was restricted. Power was given to enable the Governor-General to proclaim districts in which restrictions on the supply were imposed on Maoris (para. 109, supra) and other districts in which the Maoris could vote for the prohibition of supply to themselves (para. 112, supra). The Act also provided that licenses should not be granted to breweries within five miles of a no-license district and that brewery depots were not to be established within five miles of a no-license district. This provision did not abolish depots established before the Act came into force. 179. In 1911, at the national poll, the vote for continuance was 205,661, or 44-17 per cent, of the total votes. The vote for prohibition was 259,943, or 55-82 per cent. 180. The Licensing Amendment Act of 1914 provided that the Representation Commissioners should fix the boundaries of electoral districts so that, wherever practicable no licensed-premises should be placed in a no-license district. Provision was made for the delivery of liquor into no-license districts by carrier (para. 97, supra). The consignment of liquor through the railways into a proclaimed area, or the delivery of liquor through the Post Office into such area, was regulated (para. 98, supra). Provision was also made for the manufacture of wine only under a winemaker's license (para. 36, supra). 181. In 1914, at the national poll, the vote for continuance was 257,442, or 51-01 per cent, of the total votes. The vote for prohibition was 247,217, or 48-98 per cent. 182. In 1915 the Beer Duty Act of 1908 was repealed and breweries and beer duty were regulated by Part 111 of the Finance Act, 1915. Under the Beer Duty Act of 1908, beer duty was paid by affixing special revenue stamps to the tap-hole of each cask before delivery from the brewery. These stamps denoted the contents of the cask and

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