Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, DEC. 9. 1893. The Alcoholic Liquor Sale Control Act.

Manawatu Herald, 9 December 1893, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, DEC. 9. 1893. The Alcoholic Liquor Sale Control Act.

We notice that our contemporary, the Manawatu Standard has been writing upon the above Act. It hdß omitted one very important point in the Act regarding candidates for the position of members of the Committees which needs some clearing up before the elections are held in March. Under clause 7 subsection 3 it is directed that every such election shall be conducted in the same manner as elections of members of the House ot Representatives are conducted. Now at the election of members of the House of Representatives candidates have to deposit with the Returning Officer the sum of £10, which deposit is forfeited on their failing to poll a certain percentage of the voteß of the successful candidates. What is not at all clear at. present is, is this proceedure -to be enforced ? The Government were asked tht question in the House and it was understood they intended to seek the advice of their Law officers on the point, but we have failed as yet to learn the result. If our contemporary can obtain an authoritative statement it will be doing the Temperance cause a service. We think also that the article might have been made clearer, as the election of Committees will not necessarily be held, a3 stated, on the " electoral roll as purged by the general election voting on the 28th " for though the Act directs the Registrar of Electors to purge the rol it further enacts ■" but nothing herein contained shall affect the right of any elector whose name shall have been so expunged from at any time thereafter sending in a fresh claim for registration on such electoral roll under any of the laws for the time being in force regulating the registration of electors." Unless the Standard knows that it is the intention of the Government to permit only the purged roll to,, bb used, it is evident, by law, a very much larger number may have a say in the election if their claims to registration are accepted. What the public would desire to ascertain is, at what date will the new roll for the election of Licensing Committees close. The election is to be held early in March. As our contemporary is an advocate of the Direct Veto, and stands well in the eyes of the powers that be, more information might possibly be se cured by it than by an opponent and we trust it will do its best to secure something definite. j