NO EXTENSION OF HOTEL HOURS

Chronicle (Levin), 17 February 1947, Page 3

NO EXTENSION OF HOTEL HOURS

TWO TO ONE MAJORITY IN N.S.W. PLEBISCITEKeceived SuiuImv, 7 p.m. SYDXEY, Feb. 10. The liquor hours re-ferendiuu in New .Smith \Y ales resnlted iu an overwhelin iny vol'e figfiinst any exlension of liijnor Irading hours. 1'rogress voting showed (iiat there will be a majority for (i p.iu. as figainst 10 p.m. closing, of jiearly Iwo to oue. \Yhen the rount ing elosed ;it niiduighf. last. night the voling totals were: ti p.m., 920,734; 9 p.m., 22,045; .10 p.ui., 518,8(51. The only e.jeetorates in whieli late closing held a ma.jority were Woolahra, King's ('ross, Rushcutters Bay and ('ol>ar in the far west'. One of the snrprises in the ref'eren (lum was the sfroug conntrv vote foi early closing. Liquor trade interest s were- conlident tliat countrv electorates would ' show a large majority for the latc hour but in niost cases the vote was strongiy Ihe other wav. Electorai ollicers admitted that Ihe greiil majority of Ihe 900, 000 women who reeorded vot.es, favoured (3 p.m. .Many men admitted that they voted that wsiy also in protest against the brewerv ownerslup of niost oi' New Houth Wales. The State Electorai Officer, Mr, E. Bennetts, said that it might be ten yeiirs before Ihe people of New Houtli AVules luid an other opportunity to change holel, hours. The count is. not yet comjilete as there are 1,830,258 people on the rolls and voting was compulsory but the posiliou cannot be changed as support ers of early closing, iu Ihe votes counl ed, number more than lialf (he total.