NO-LICENSE STATISTICS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 464, 10 July 1909, Page 2

NO-LICENSE STATISTICS.

At a No-license meeting at Newtown (Wellington) on Wednesday evening last the Rev J. Dawson, Secretary of the New Zealand Alliance, gave some interesting statisin reference to No-Hcense. At the last poll he said the majority in the Dominion over the continuance vote was 33,331. Twelve electorates out of 76 —a little over one-seventh of the whole Dominion—had " carried No - license. There was a bare majority for No-license in 60 of the 76 electorates. This meant that 53 per cent of the total people who exerised the franchise voted for No-Hcense, Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin had majorities of over 2,000 each. Christchurch had a majority of over 400. In 1893 when the Act came into force there were 686,128 persons in New Zealand exclusive ol Maoris, and there were 1,719, licenses which meant one to every 341 people. The present population excluding 47,000 Maoris was 960,642, and the licenses after June 30th numbered 1,2.57 —one to every 764 people. In 16 years, abolished—over 25 per cent. Compared with population the figures worked out at about 50 per - cent. The reduction vote had been sponsible for the abolition of 308 licenses. , No-Hcense” by the three-fifth vote had taken away 154 licenses, making the total 462. In 12 years from 1893 to 1905, 75 licenses Were voted but by Nolicense, ■ and 280 by reduction. From 1905 to 1908,- 79 licenses were annulled by No-license, and 28 by reduction. During 18931905 licenses were reduced at the rate of 29 per year, while the rate had been 36 per year from 1905 to 1908.