THE LICENSING POLL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1963, 10 April 1919, Page 3

THE LICENSING POLL.

COUNTING THE VOTES

NO FINAL RESULT TILL MAY.

An unique position is that held by the Minister of Justice (Hon. T. M. Wilford) in connection with the licensing 1 poll, for he is the authority whose word will be awaited with anxiety by many thousands of people. All returns are to go to him, and be is responsible for the announcement which will show whctli-. er the people have decided that New Zealand shall go dry on 30th June, or continue wet for at least another year. For the purpose of receiving returns quickly, the Minister will have his office at the Superintendent’s room in the Telegraph Office, and will be in a position to watch the voting barometer from the time that the first return is received until the last comes to hand. As in some districts the polling booths close at 6 p.m., the first return should bo to hand before 7 o’cb )ck, and probably the last New Zealand result will arrive before midnight. But no information will be given by the Minister; the first announcement he makes will be the last, through the New Zealand Gazette, showing the final result, inclusive of the soldiers’ votes. As (he Government has decided, however, that district results may be made public immediately they will go to the Chief Returning Officer, but even with the last district result known, the issue will be in doubt unless one side or the other has a majority of 45,000, for this is the approximate size of the soldiers’ vole, which will bo known only to the Minister of Justice (with, of course, officers assisting him), until the Gazette appears. Some of the soldiers’ votes, for example, those recorded in New Zealand, will be known to the officials on the night of the poll, but they not be published until the total vote comes to hand. The votes recorded in the United Kingdom, France, and Egypt, will be'cabled to New Zealand, but (he votes of soldiers on the troopships will not be counted until the sealed ballot boxes are delivered to the Minister of Justice in New Zealand. Wireless will not be used, and this means that the final result of (he poll cannot be announced until the last troopship sailing before the 10th April reaches New Zealand. According to a return published to-day this should be the Carpentaria, due on 12th May. The former vessel left the United Kingdom on 2nd April, and, of course, another vessel, of which no advice, has been received, may have sailed since.

votes recorded in dim

At the licensing poll held in December. 19.14, the number of votes recorded in favour of continuance was 257,442, and for national prohibition 247,217. The details of the voting in (he several electorates on that occasion are as follows; Contin’ee. Prohih’tn. Ray of Islands 3100 2918 Marsden 2591 3270 Kaipara 2749 3194 Waitcmala. 4097 4510 Auckland 12,11>) 10,357 Parnell 4400 4053 Manakau 4272 4918 Franklin 2993 3505 Raglan 2887 3039 Thames 2494 3407 Tanranga 3141 3504 Waikato 3352 4509 Ray of Plenty 3807 3178 Taimiarunui 4413 3254 Cishorne 4215 3872 Hawke’s Ray 4180 3882 Napier 4007 3051 Waipawa 3299 2948 Pahiatna 2501 2413 Wairarapa 3483 2559 Stratford 2180 2725 Taranaki 2712 3475 Eginont 2412 3000 Pa t ea 3023 3477 Wanganui 3777 3900 Waimarino 3030 2422 e Drona 2544 2750 Rangitikei 2808 2394 Palmerston 3554 3519 Ota Id 2900 2299 Halt 3870 3007' Wellington 13,891 9782 Nelson 3000 2907 •Motueka 2850 1879 Duller 2330 2881 Grey 3400 3118 Westland 3135 2200 Wairau' 3780 2732 Iluruuui 2950 1918 Kaiapoi 2877 2992 Christchurch 12,035 11,830 Riccarton 3897 3-120 Avon 1000 4217 Lyttelton 3183 3118 Ellesmere 2912 2-158 Selwyn 3070 2310 Timani 3501 38.19 Temuka 2858 2000 Waitaki 2732 3123 Otago Central 3044 2613 Dunedin 11,708 11,033 Dunedin Smith 4298 3056 Chalmers 2933 3209 Wakalipu 2584 1915 Wallace 2791 2215 Awarua 2425 2457 Eden 3477 6028 Grey Lynn 3495 5051 Ohinemnri 2502 3045 Masterton 3331 2895 Wellington South 3788 3024 Wellington Sub. nrbs & Country' Districts ‘ 3213 3152 Ashburton 3419 2683 Oamaru . 3100 3203 Bruce 2063 2712 Clutha 23 o 3 gmt9 Matanra 2564 2927 Invercargill 3050 3898