THE LICENSING ISSUES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22518, 28 September 1938, Page 15

THE LICENSING ISSUES

POLL ON ELECTION DAY LITTLE INTEREST BEING SHOWN RESTORATION BALLOT IN TWELVE AREAS Concurrent with the General Election on October 15, the ninth poll will be taken on the national 1 Prohibition issue. Little interest ' has been shown so far in the poll; ; certainly, there are no signs of a ; revival of the intense interest in 1919, when the retention of licensed hotels was in the balance until the votes of soldiers, abroad and afloat, gave Continuance a majority of 10,362 over Prohibition. They were only the two issues. In addition to the poll on the national issues, electors in the existing no-licence areas will vote next month to decide whether licences in those 12 areas shall be restored. Popular referenda on the licensing question were not provided for in legislation before 1893, and the first poll was taken on March 21, 1894. Subsequently, the law was modified from time to time, the most radical alterations being made in the legislation parsed by Parliament on December 10, 1918. This provided for a special poll on the national issue only, for the addition to the ballot paper of the State purchase proposal, and for the decision of the issue by an absolute majority. Two Exciting Polls During that session, an amendment was also made to the Licensing Act giving authority for the taking of a special licensing poll on the question of the ’ national prohibition of liquor, with compensation to those engaged in the industry, or national continuance of the sale of liquor. In addition to the taking of civilian votes, the act made provision for the taking of votes of soldiers who were members of any expeditionary force, under the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces Act, 1915, located in the Dominion or abroad and also, on the date of the poll, returning to New Zealand on troopships. The poll was taken on April 10,1919, and the soldiers’ votes resulted in Continuance being carried. In the following December, three issues were submitted for decision— Continuance. National Prohibition without compensation, and State Purchase and Control. The poll was taken on General Election day and was preceded by a vigorous. campaign. Prohibition narrowly failed to secure the required majority of 50 per cent, of the votes cast. The 1931 poll was postponed, on the grounds of economy by the passing of special legislation. Results of polls since December, 1919, are:—

Ballot for Licences Twelve n©-licence districts in the Dominion will also vote on the issue of restoration, for which three-fifths of the valid votes cast are necessary if a change is to be made. In all ether districts the local option issue has been abolished. The districts to decide for or against restoration are:—Auckland Suburbs, Eden, Grey Lynn, Roskill, Masterton, Wellington East, Wellington South, Wellington Suburbs. Oamaru, Clutha, Mataura, and Invercargill. If a no-licence area adopts restoration, the procedure then is for a poll to be taken for the election of a 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 law requires the holding of the election in March and that the committee shall hold its annual meeting in June, when the hotel licences for the district must be allocated. The number of licences granted must not exceed one for every 500 persons in the district, or. be fewer than one for every 1000 inhabitants. The Licensing Act includes a preference clause by which the committee, in determining applications for licences, must give preference to owners of oremises which were subject to a licence at the coming into effect of no-licence. The only district in which restoration has been carried after a period of no-licence is Ohinemuri, incorporating Waihi and Paeroa, which, after being a “dry” area from 1909, carried restoration in 1925. The majority was only 48 votes more than the required, three-fifths. The voting in the 12 districts on local

1919. National Continuance State Purchase and Control .. National Prohibition. 241,251 32,261 270,250 1922. National Continuance State Purchase and Control .. National Prohibition 282,669 35.727 800,791 1925. National Continuance State Purchase and Control .. National Prohibition 299,590 56.037 319,450 1928. National Continuance State Purchase and Control .. National Prohibition 373,692 64,276 294,453 1935. National Continuance State Purchase and Control .. National Prohibition 521,167 57,499 243,091

restoration at the last poll was:— For. Against. Auckland Suburbs .. 5746 5317 Clutha 4416 4370 Eden 5131 7509 Grey Lynn 6714 6404 Invercargill 7351 6006 Masterton .. 5238 4089 Mataura .. 5135 4025 Oamaru 4805 5501 Roskill 5321 9014 Wellington East 6228 8756 Wellington South .. 5938 5887 Wellington Suburbs 6509 9061