LICENSING POLL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 81, 31 December 1919, Page 8

LICENSING POLL

TEE PRESENT POSITION

MANY VOTES STILL TO COME

The latest completed official counts in the licensing poll liavo further reduced •. the combined Continuance-Stato Purchase j majority "against' Prohibition. The figures ' availal>lo last night from official sources and Press Association reports mako the totals approximately as follow:— • Continuance 234,907 State Eurchaso 31,244' , Prohibition ( 264,309 Majority against Pro- • . hibition 1,842 vThe number of votes covered by 'hese figures is 530,400. The votes required to constitute an absolute majority of-this . total would bo 265,231.. The Prohibition' ; total falls short of this number by !)22 votes. Tho number of votes still to be ineluded, comprising absentee votes,_ seamen's votes, and soldiers' votes, is 'believed to. be in the neighbourhood of 12,000. "'his total includes about 1000 soldiers'votes. ' .T. . Tho margin against Prohibition is so ■ narrow that recounts are sure' to be demanded, in some, if not all, tho elector- :: ates. It is possible, movoovar, that ef-

> forts may be'■ made to have somo. polls 'declared void on account of irregulari- ' ties. One of tlie points that will be :/ raised will be the refusal of certain : returning officers'to allow holders of atk cent voters' pernv'ts from no-license dis. : tricts to vote oil the national issue. These ■■ voters were entitled to vote on both the rational. issuf'and the local restoration ; issue, but .tlicy were denied the right lo ■ vote on the national issue owing, it is stated, to a misinterpretation of instrac- . tions. i \ : Tho poll was taken under the second . part of .the Licensing Act, 7918, 'which j provides that sub-section 5 of section 1G 'of the Licensing Amendment Act,1910, shall apply ' to. '"tho next ' general'licensing poll.". The snb-sec- ' tron referred to provide? that the Minister may amend the official returns if and so often as aiiy amended' statement reaches : liini under section 31 of the Act of/1910. . Section 31 makes provision for. recounts I being taken under section 29, of the ; Licensing Act, 1908. Section 29 of the ICOB Act states that any six electors may apply to a Magistrate within seven days of the official'' declaration of the poll a recount. The Magistrate will - cause the le- ■ .count to bo made. The electors asking for the recount have to deposit a • eum of ,Clfl, which may be forfeited if In the opinion'of the Magistrate tho application was made on insufficient or frivolous grounds. \ ' " Section 30 of tho Licensing ;Act. ISOB, which nnpears al<;o applicable 'to the re- . cent poll, provides that' where any fifty . electors iai?j dissatisfied with the result ■ of any licensing poll, petition / the Supreme Court, within fourteen ' days of the declaration of the poll, for "■'an inquiry into the'conduct of the lioll. If the petitioners are able to prove that tho result of the poll was materially ! effected by irregularities, tho Court may ; declare the poll void,and order a new . poll to be taken. \ ' .The results of official counts are to- ,: ported as follow— .. >' Continu- State Prohi- •; ■ ance. Purchase, bit'on. ! .Chinemnri 2,203 757 2,051 : Christchnrch .. 32,152 1747 13.752 ! Pangitikei L.. 3,i09 '885 3.3 45 '"Waitaki 2.880 v ,230 3,122 V.'Avon 3,075 555 4,787 / Manukau ■....... 3,040 339 4,198 Gfcj Lynn 3,349 325 ' 4534