The Licensing Poll.

Manawatu Herald, 6 August 1903, Page 2

The Licensing Poll.

The decision given by the Supreme Court in Wellington recently in the case of the Newtown poll is, at all events, satisfactory to the extent that the Government will be compelled to introduce a Bill altering the glaring defects of the existing licensing law. The Full Bench of the Supreme Court has decided that there was no poll, and consequently licenses cannot be issued. It was found the Act was faulty", and most difficult to be given any effect to. Mr J. Allen has introduced a Bill in connection with the. Port Chalmers prill, in which it is proposed to declare that poll valid, although the Magistrate decided otherwise, on the ground J hat he considered the irregularities in this particular case'did not affect the result of the poll. It does not, however, cover the case of Newtown, and makes no provision for future cases. The present Act should he amended in order to provide for a second poll whenever a poll for any reason had been declared void, and ibis provision should be made to apply to the poll of December last. Apparently this is the only way out of thejjdilficulty, and we are of opinion that those particular publicans who are in danger of losing their licenses will be very glad to have the chance of another poll in accordance with the Bill to be introduced by Mr Bedford. The Prohibitionist party cannot make any reasonable objection to such a course. Had the Premier promised some such Bill a month or two ago a great deal of expense might have been saved, and unless he gives some such promise now there will still be further and more expensive litigation, while the matter will not come any nearer solution. Parliament should make good its own mistakes and not leave the adjustments to the judicial authorities.