Local Option Poll.

Manawatu Herald, 17 December 1896, Page 3

Local Option Poll.

---• «- Mr H. Field, Secretary of the New ! Zealand Alliance, hag supplied the Post with the following statement and remarks, which indicate the view taken of the recent Local Option poll by the Prohibition party. Particulars are to hand from 44 out of the 62 electorates, and these show the totjl voting on the respective issue.? to be : — For continuance, 102,412; reduction, 78,14E ; no license, 72,745. There is thus a difference of 29,667 between the continuance and the prohibition vote, out of a total of 175,157 votes cast. Roughly speaking, out of every fivo voters, three voted for continuance and two for prohibition. There was not 1000 votes difference between reduction and no licence, and as the plan of the Prohibitionists was " Strike out tha top line only," it may now be regarded as certain that there is not a large section of the community who believe in a policy of reduction as opposed to the policy of prohibition. In comparison with the Local Option poll of 1894, it ia needful to remember that a positive inducement to abstain from voting was then given to the Liquor Party by the 11 half must vote " clause. • In many districts the Prohibitionists then put forth their strength, though the 14 Trade " did not. As might be expected under the provision that the issue should be determined by those who vote, not those who stay away, both parties have now had to fight. The result shows an increase in the prohibition vote in the 44 electorates reported upon of 82,934. In the four chief cities, the increased vote for No License is as follows : -Dunedin, 660 ; Christohurcb, 1295 ; Wellington, 1454 ; and Auckland, 8864. But it is needful to note here that Auckland did not make a real effort in 1894, believing that under the local conditions then existing effort would be wasted. Tha difference between the continuance and the prohibition vote in the four citiea ia as follows : — Dunedin, 8324 ; Christchurch, 2997 ; Wellington, 1968 ; Auckland, 1518. The total increase in the Prohibition vote in the colony will not be less tban 40,000, and the voting strength of the party is about 90,000, being a full third of the whole vote of the colony. _