THE LICENSE POLLS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 426, 30 December 1911, Page 5

THE LICENSE POLLS.

IN CASE OF EARLY ELECTION. The fact that in view of the uncertain position of political parties, the next local option poll may not take place for five years, was pointed out immediately after the results of the first ballot indicated the return of the days of small majorities. The subject has been enlarged upon somewhat by a man who has been interviewed by a Dunedin Star reporter, and he suggests some interesting possibilities.

"We may possibly not have anuther licensing poll for five years, or we may have one every year," said the speculativa one. He quoted the section of the Licensing Act which says that ''if atany time Parliament is dissolved before it has been two yearj in existence., then at the taking of the electoral poll for the new Parliament no licensing poll shall be taken, but the result of the licensing poll taken at the last previous general election shall continue in force until such licensing poll is again taken simultaneously with the electoral poll next after the dissolution of such new Parliament." The section, he said, was somewhat vague. Suppose, contended this authority, Parliament A, just elected, continues in office for less than two years, on its dissolution no licensing poll will be taken when the succeeding Parliament M is elected, r»3 the result of tho licensing poll taken at the election of Parliament A will continue in force until the election held after the dissolution or expiry of Parliament E. That may mean five years. Supposing, however, that Parliament B, which succeeds it, lasts for a similar period, then the obvious reading of the Licensing Act is that as a consequence of numerous short-period dissolutions of Parliament a licensing poll may possibly be taken every 12 months. On the other hand, if Parliament A lasted just under two years, and Parliament B ran its full term of three years, there would consequently not be a licensing poll for five years. "And every five years would be often enough," concluded this quoter of Acts and propounder of figures. Should Dominion prohibition be carried licensing polls, instead of being taken at uncertain intervals, will be taken on the occasion of each general election. Section 23 of the Act of 1910 reads as follows:—"At the first general election of members of Parliament, which is held after the expiration of three years from the day of the coming into force of the determination of the electors in favour of national prohibition, and at every general election thereafter so long as that determination remains in force, a licensing poll shall be taken, and at that poll there shall be submitted to the electors of each licensing district the question whether licenses shall be restored in New Zealand."