LOCAL OPTION POLL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 442, 24 November 1908, Page 4

LOCAL OPTION POLL.

Both Sides

The Liquor Party’s Opinions.

Representative men in the trade, in reply to a question by a Post reporter, were unanimous in an expression of opinion that the Wellington poll was not as large as jt should have been. There were 27,333 names on the rolls, and only 18,124 voted. Thus there was a deficiency of 9209, and the speakers said it could be fairly assumed that nineteen-twen-tieths of these non-voters —had they voted at all—would have favoured continuance. It was a certainly that the No-license people polled their full strength, and that the careless people had no sympathy with No-license. They simply went away holiday-making at the earliest opportunity, instead of staying to record their votes. This year’s non-voters exceeded last elections by 2554. It was anticipated that 23,000 people at least would vote in the city. The party considers that it got off very well in Wellington City, but it is disappointed at the results in surrounding districts. It would not have been surprised to hear of Prohibition being carried in one electorate, but the idea of the Hutt, Wellington Suburbs, and Masterton all being made Nolicense areas was not entertained. Mr F. W. Isitt’s Opinions. Mr F. W. Isitt, general secretary of the Alliance, said that the indications were for the closing of over one hundred hotel bars in New Zealand. Bruce electorate, after many disappointments, had reached the goal. The Sle ling hotel —which was talked about ail over New Zealand in connection wi h certain proceedings —was new in Bruce, and it would be wiped out with the others. Kailangata, also ,was in the district. Bruce, Clutha, Matmra, and Invercargill (all neighbouring places and with no intervening stretches) presented a long area of No-license country. Maslerlon’s adoption of No-license affected a district from thirty to forty miles across. The trend of New Zealand was illustrated by the fact that in the fifty-four electorates from which returns were available there were 45 with actual majority voles cast for No-license, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin —the four chief cities —had all given majorities for No-liceuse, and though none were sufficiently large to carry it, they were within a thousand votes of doing so. Auckland, November 19. Mr Wesley Spragg, president of the New Zealand Alliance, speaking to-day on the results achieved by the No-Ificense party, said “it must be borne in mind that all our work —every scrap ol it —is of the voluntary sort either in gift or service. Naturally our organisation is defective. On the other hand, we are opposing the wealthiest, most interested, and best organised of combinations, and the magnificent result can only be accounted for by a widespread and growing recognition that the liquor traffic is inimical to the interests of a people. The liquor question is up for settlement throughout the civilised world, and there is only cue way in which it can be settled, and that is by its abolition. With what we have learned and what we have gained as object lessons, and as a starting point, we think that we can forecast that Auckland city, as well as its out-districts, will shortly rid itself of the liquor trade, and that the Dominion itself will soon be free of the traffic and its attendant evils.”