The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY. NOVEMBER 19. 1928. THE LICENSE REFERENDUM.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1928, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY. NOVEMBER 19. 1928. THE LICENSE REFERENDUM.

The polling on the licensing issue throughout the Dominion is evidently going to give a decided vote for leaving matters as they are. Continuance will prevail by a large majority. T he vote should give much food for thought as to affording more security of tenure for the trade in order that reasonable demands for the improvement and regulation of the trade might be expected with more justice, and at the same time with greater regard for temperance. '1 he history of the license referendum over Now Zealand is worth noting as indicating the recurring verdict- which suggests more reasonable consideration on the part of Parliament lor the rights and privileges' oT a trade tvhich has had such pronounced public support. We are indebted to a contemporary, which in giving a brief review of the successive polls, points out the first poll on the

iccnsing question in New Zealand was aken in the year 1896. when the issues übmitted to the electors were: Continuance, reduction ,no-license. To carry continuance or reduction an abso. 'ute majority was needed. At that poll i Ik* (Tutha electorate carried in-license •'he national prohibition issue was not submitted to the electors until the poll taken on December 7tli, 1911. when a three-filths majority was required to carry the proposal. Local option polls were taken in 1899, 1902. 1906 and 1908 under similar conditions, to that in 1896, with the exception that they were held on the sane dav as Ihe Pa'j’liamontnry elections, and no-license became an important issue at ihe elections. At the poll in 1.902 no-license was carried in Newtown (Wellington), Ashburton. Chalmers, Rriice and Mataura. but the results in Newtown. Chalmers and Bruce were afterwards declared void and no change took place. In 1006 no-liccnso was carried in Crev Lynn. Oamarii and Invercargill, and in 1908 it was carried in Ohinenmri. Fden. Masicrton Wellington South, Wellington Suburb and Bruce. None of the electorates which adopted no-liccnso have since carried restoration of licenses. Deskill, which became a separate electorate after the census of 1916, is iu•liided as a no-liconsc electorate cause it formerly formed part ol the Eden electorate. The number of votm cast for each issue at the polls between 1896 and 1908 arc as under: —

At the poll taken on December 7th. 1011, the reduction issue was eliminated, and the electors voted for the first time on the prohibition issue. As in the ease ol local no-license a three-filths majority was required to carry prohibition. No-license was not carried in any district at that poll, and the votes in favour of national prohibition were several thousands short of a three-fifths majority. Ihe total number of electors on the rolls "as 690.0-12 and 237.026 voted for continuance and 234,666 for local no-!icense. The number of votes lor national continuance was 206.661 and lor national prohibition 269,943. Ol 465.604 valid votes recorded 66.83 per cent were cast for and 44.17 per cent against national prohibition. The not poll on the nolicense and national prohibition issues was taken on December 10th. 1914. under the same conditions as the poll of 1911. Of n total of 611.043 electors on the. roll. 604.669 valid votes were recorded. On the local option issue 274.106 votes ‘ were cast lor continuance and 229.474 for no-license, and on the national prohibition issue 25 < ,442 votes wore east for continuance and 247.217 for prohibition. The percentages of the total votes secured by con-

tiiuiance was 51.01 and national prohibition 48.99. During the 1018 session of Parliament an amendment to the Licensing Act was passed whereby authority was given lor taking a special licensing poll on the question of national prohibition otf liquor with compensation to all those engaged in the industry, or national continuance of liquor. In addition to the taking of civilian votes, the Act made special provision for taking the votes of soldiers who were members of the New Zealand Expeditionary ho roes. A hare majority of voles was required to carry prohibtion. The poll was taken on April 10th, 1019, and resulted in national continuance being carried by a majority of 10..102. The total number of votes, including soldiers’ votes, cast for prohibition was 253,827, and 'for continuance 264,189, a total of 018.01.(5 valid votes being recorded at the poll, lu accordance with the Licensing Amendment Ad., nils, three issues were submitted for decision on December 17th, 1919: Continuance, State Purchase and Control, and Prohibition without compensation. To carry any issue it was necessary that more than one-half of the total votes cast should he in favour of that issue. None of the issues secured the minimum of more than onehalf of the total valid votes, national prohibition being only 3262 votes short of being carried. The three issues—National Continuance, State Purchase and Control, and National Prohibition (without compensation) wore again submitted to the electois on December 7th, 1922, when prohibition was 17,(502 votes short of half the total votes cast at the poll. The licensing poll of November 4th, 1925. was the third at which the three issues —National Continuance, State Purchase and Control, and National Prohibition (without compensation)—were submitted to the electors. As the number of votes cast for prohibition u-iis 3(5.177 short of half the total votes cast, national continuance was doomed to have been carried. This year National Prohibition is 'far behind the licensing issue. It will thus lit seen that the question has been well thrashed out over many years, and it is time there was some stability for the trade if New Zealand is to he served as well and as- honestly as it should ho by what has been declared a necessary trade, and which is capable of doing so much if or the general advancement, particularly in regard to encouraging tourists and holiday traffic to the country.

Number No Year . nu roll Coil. Ued’oii License ’90 339,220 139.5^0 94.555 98.312 ’99 373,744 142,443 107,751 1 18,575 ’02 415,789 148.449 132,210 151,521 ’Oo 470,473 182,884 151.057 198,708 ’OS 537,003 188,140 102.502 221,471