THEIR FIRST OPPORTUNITY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1284, 13 November 1911, Page 4

THEIR FIRST OPPORTUNITY.

MAORIS TO VOTE ON THE LIQUOR QUESTION. The Maori electors of certain district* of New Zealand will shortly have their first opportunity of voting at licensing polls. Preparations arc ,now being made by the Department of Native Affairs, in conjunction with tho Electoral Department, for the taking of polls under Section 'iO of the Licensing Amendment Act, 1910. These polls will not affect the number of licensed houses, as tho question to bo submitted is simply whether liquor shall be supplied to ifatives within tho district or not. For this purpose tiio bare majority principle is adopted, and it' Prohibition is curried tho effect will he that on the expiry of one mont'i from tho declaration of the result of tho poll arty person who, within tlio district, supplies liquor to a Native will bo liable ou summary conviction Iβ a fine of .£IOO. Licensees'and licensed premises arc not exempt, but the prohibition does not apply to liquor supplied under medical orders, or for religious uses, or to the Native wives of Europeans. The districts for the purposes of these polls aro the Maori Council districts, and, those in which the polls will actually be taken will be proclaimed by tho Governor on the recommendation of tho respective councils, which will kayo to jiay the expenses. The Dominion is divided into 20 Maori Council districts. Tlio law allows tlio Government to fix any date for the taking of the polls, and also leaves it to determine how long they shall remain in force. The first pulls will bo taken on tho same dav as tho Maori Parliamentary elections. The date is not yet fixci', but will not bo before tho middle of December.