LICENSING ISSUE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1964, 12 April 1919, Page 2

LICENSING ISSUE.

OTAKI FIGURES. 391,4. 1!) 19. Con. Pro. Con. Fro. Levin 503 035 470 (iSS Otaki 380 190 283 240 To Horn 97 77 Go 75 Waikauae 103 SL) 83 44 Paraparaumu 101 72 77 78 Manakan 97 95 7.1 102 .Faok.aka.viki 110 50 90 58 Chau 47 79 32 92 Keikeiorangi 45 11 25 18 Kopulavua , 43 G 5 47 G2 -Shannon 221 280 332 230 Moutoa 54 48 13 24 Tokomani J I*2 1 115 .107 08 Foxlon 390 408 309 454 Hangiolu 40 72 01 55 Taikoroa 79 48 54 54 Waiohanga 20 11 0 8 Akatarawa 17 14 19 0 Clark’s House 17 2 ' 0 8 Ovona Downs 50 45 45 ■- 30 Makerua 1.9 15 23 0 Marotiri Ora Mill l(i 14 Gibbs’ Mill 29 32 2731 2503 2301 2432 ■lt practically rests with (he soldiers to say whether New Zealand shall £o dry on Ist* July, So lav as the civilian vote went, there were 13,000. more people voting total prohibition than in favour of letting matters with respect to liijuor remain as they arc. But the voting is not yet finished. There have to bo added the voles of seamen and absentees, also (he voles of 10,000 soldiers in (he Dominion and 34,31.1 soldiers alloat and on active service m the United Kingdom, Egypt, France and Samoa. PROHIBITION VIEW. DISAPPOINTED BUT HOPEFUL. r Jhe Rev. R. 8. Gray, President of the New Zealand Alliance, and the Rev. John Dawson, General Secretary, interviewed upon the subject of the Licensing Poll, made the following statement:— “44 e should have been glad if the present majority had been larger; we confidently expected it would be. We refuse, however, absolutely to accept the suggestion that the Trade has already won the contest. Thp latest returns show a majority for Prohibition of 13,094, and this is

PROHIBITION MAJORITY OF OVER 12,000. SOLDIERS WILL DETERMINE FINAL RESULT. NORTH ISLAND.

being increased by every corrected return. The Trade has throughout claimed that the soldiers’ vote would be overwhelmingly in its favour. Until absolute proof of this is forthcoming, we decline to believe that the young manhood of this Dominion, which risked ils life in the interests of the Empire, is more in-7 forested in the continuance of Ihc 'liquor trade than in the welfare of the country. “There is no doubt that one of (lie greatest difficulties with which we have hud to contend was the provision for (lie payment of compensation, and the ladies adopted by the ’Trade in regard to it. Compensation was accepted by the New Zealand Alliance at the suggestion of the Nat ional Efficiency League, and as the only means of removing from the legislation of the country Ihe grossly unfair handicaps under which (he two last. National Prohibition polls were fought, namely, the extension to the Trade of trading rights lor four and a-half years if; Prohibition should be curried, and (he three-lifths majority. We need * hardly repeat that the great body of Prohibitionists in the Dominion were impelled very much more large!v by the moral (ban the economic aspect of this phase of the question. They could not reconcile it with (heir consciences to refuse to vote for the immediate extinction of 'the Trade with compensation rather I ban allow it t o continue its degrading uoik lor the four and a-hal£ years. Whatever may he the final result of the present poll, one tiling has been settled for ever, and that is the question of-compensation. It has been tinally disposed of by the Trade itself. During the whole history of the liquor fight, the Trade lias protested against the injustice of what it always called confiscation. It was definitely offered, under the present proposals, the compensation which it always demanded. No revival of the compensation plea will ever again be tolerated. It has asked persistently throughout this campaign, “Why pay £4,500,000?” If it should turn out that Continuance, has been carried at this poll, the Trade will not only be given the opportunity, hut will be compelled, to answer its own question, the only difference being that’ the Prohibition party, instead of’

ihe Trade,-will ask (he question, and will ask it with even more persistence. It should be premature, even if it were wise, to compare the differ - * cut parts of the Dominion. In view £ of all the difficulties, our people have done splendidly. There is one point, however, that we should like to emphasise with regard to this question of compensation, as showing that the Prohibition party was absolutely loyal to its agreement to accept the compromise. There was no part of the Dominion in which objection to this was more keenly felt than in Dunedin and Otago, and yet the vole east there is, we think, heavier proportionately than in any other part of tiie Dominion. THE INFLUENZA SCAPE. “The other chief factor, in our judgment, in preventing a heavier vole for Prohibition was the influenza scare, through which the liquor trade ami the Aloderate party worked upon the fears of the people. Their notorious fake proclamation and their use of the names of anthurities who repudiated the Trade’s statements, doubtless a Heeled many voters, and the only reason we can suggest why the adoption of such tactics did not meet with an overwhelming moral protest is that the great mass of the electors did not rightly understand the facts. In proof of our statement of their misuse of anl horities, wo wish to say that we have to-day received from London a cable in which the following appears: “‘Sir James Cantile to-day sigued the following statement regarding inaccurate report published in New Zealand: “1 was wrongly re-' ported—spirits are no preventative of inlluenza, but useful as a stimulent in exhaustion which accompanies or follows influenza. Spirits, in my opinion, are a drug to be obtained only from a chemist by doctors prescription when everything else fails.” ’ “Jt will be remembered (bat Dr. James Cantile was (lie chief aulbori(y relied upon by the Trade, and that they advertised him as saying: ‘Alcohol is the only known anlidotc fur the new influenza.’ “They, also, as it will lie remembered, by fake cable and otherwise, stated that the releasing of an increased 2d per cent, of spirits was due to the demand for influenza remedies. Sir Malcolm Alorris, President of the Institute of Hygiene, ■says; ‘Jt is absurd to pretend that Ihe releasing of 25 per cent, of spirits was due to (he demand for influenza remedies. The releasing of spirits and beer is the natural result of the armistice, and the greater easiness of food supplies. Alcohol is not essential for (he prevenSj lion or treatment of influenza.’ Sir Alfred Pearce Gould says; ‘There has not been any shod age of alcohol for medicinal use.’ A FIGHTING CHANCE OF WINNING, .“Jn conclusion, we are of opinion that we have still a distinct fighting chance of winning this poll, hut if it should prove that we are defeated we shall on the very day that the announcement is made begin preparations for the tight at the General Election, and we have sufficient faith in the righteousness of our cause to believe that we maythen witness such an illustration of poetic justice as will make the Trade bitterly lament fhat it did not accept the compensation which was offered to it.” SOLDIERS’ VOTES. SOME RETURNS FROM ENGLAND, Las! evening the n,. ; . r |\ M. Wil- , ford announced that he had received the following results of soldiers’ voting in England: — Con. Pro. Inf. TI. Broc ken I nil's I Hospital St) 28 Walton Hospital (including .Brighton Convalescent Officer's Hospital) (54.5 1.7!) 1. 825 . OalJaml Ilosp’l 40ft 03 1 404 Tidworth. Hos, 47 II Hornchurch Hos. 448 151 (5 (505 N.Z. Ilcarqunrters booth 10(58 31 2 ti lift High Commissioner’s booth 27!) (57 2 ■ 348 Brocton Depot 148 ft 335 2 1817 Southampton Dep 17 5 Southampton Depot 17 5 41(54 1211 18 5(503 Alajorify for Continuance 3253 The voting leaves the position as, follows Con. Pro. N.Z. voting . . . 22(5,3(57 238,5(58 Soldiers’ votes 4.4,151 1,211 Totals (o dale 230,.53! 233,770 Prohibition's lead 8,048 LATEST OFFICIAL RETURNS. PROHIBITION AIAJORITY REDUCED TO 5(58. (Bv Telegraph —Special to ’ “Herald.") Wellington, This Afternoon. The official latest returns reduce the Prohibition majority to 5(58. .Soldiers’ votes to band show 12,000 majority for Continuance.

Auckland Central Continuance, ... 3,516 Prohibition. 2,076 Maj’tyfor Contin’ee. 1,440 - Majty for Prohibit’u Auckland East .... 3,612 ... 3,674 2,798 814 ■ — Auckland West 3,835 — 161 Bav of Islands ;;. 2.285 2,543 — 258 Bay of Plenty 2,996 25!) — Eden ... 3.806 6,322 — 2,516 Egmont ... 2,211 2,639 — 428 i Franklin . .. 2,607 3,99* —. 1,388 Gisborne .,. 3,358 3,458 — ,100 Grey Lynn ... 3,746 4,764 — 1,018 Hawke’s Bay 3,833 84 — Hlltt ; ... 3,703 3,550 243 —. Kaipara ... 2,180 2,495 — 315 Manukau ... 4,006 5,465 — .1,459 Marsdeu ... 2,062 3,009 — 947 .Masted on .., 2,738 2,685 53 — Napier ... 3.762 3,672 90 — Obineiuuri ,.. 2,2 19 1,982 267 — Oroua ... 2,260 2.768 — 508 Otaki ... 2,301. 2,432 — .131. Paliiatua .... .,. 2,277 2,202 , 75 . — Palmerston ... 3,386 4,095 — 709 Parnell ... 3,738 4,624 — 886 Patea ... 2.777 3,666 — SS!) .Raglan. ... 2,699 3,708 — 1,009 Rangitikei ... 2,447 2,395 52 — Stratford ... 1,945 2,684: — 769 Taranaki ... 2,6,16 3,829 — 1,183 Tauiuanuuii . .. 3,280 2,797 483 — Tamanga . .. 2,983 3,549 — 566 Thames .., 2,248 2,582 — 336 Waikato ... 3,249 - 4,266 — 3,017 Waimarino • ... 2.923 1,952 971 — Waipawa .., 2,891 2,741 150 — Wairarapa ... 2,785 2,356 420 — Waitemata ... 3,481 4,709 — 1,288 Wanganui ... 3,897 4,290 — 393 Wellington Central .,. ... 4,442 2,551 1,891 — 'Wellington East ... 3,820 3,395 425 — Wellington North .... ... 4,757 3,377 1,380 — Wellington South .... .. . 3,791 3,636 155 — Wellington Suburbs .. . . . 3,225 3,366 — 1 Ill, SOUTH ConISLAND. ProMajTy for Ma j’iy lor Ashburton timmnee. . . . 2,997 bibilion. 2,487 Coni in’ce, 510 Prohibit'!!. Avon ... 3,720 4,329 — 609 Awarua . .. 2,150 2,298 — 118 Bruce ... 2,007 2,323 — 3.16 Buller . .. 2,309 .1,897 502 — Ch aimers ... 2,008 3,705 — 1,697 Christchurch East .. . 3,940 2,865 1,075 — Christchurch North . .. 4,257 4,516 — 259 Christchurch South .. . . . 3,471 3,723 — 252 Clutha . .. 1,734 2,394 — 660 , . Dunedin Central .... ... 2,927 3,704 — 777 Dunedin North . . . 2,708 •1,359 — 1,651. Dunedin South ... 3,401 4,493 — 1,092 Dunedin West .,. 2,087 3,875 — 888 Ellesmere ... 2,514 2,067 447 — Grev 1,835 . 1,407 — Hurunui • .... 3,525 1,731 • 794 — Invercargill ... 3,209 4,155 — 946 Kaiapoi ... 2,728 2,554 174 — Lyttelton ... 3,024 3,106 — 82 Ala(aura ... 2,217 2,728 — 511 Motueka ... 2,605 1,889 716 — Nelson ... 3,037 2,916 121 — Oamaru ... 2,522 3,109 —. 587 Otago Central ... 2,152 2,209 . — 117 Riccarton ... 3,384 3,386 — 2 Selwyn ... 2,366 1,908 459 — Temuka 2,530 241 — Timaru ... 2,995 4,049 — .1,054 Wairan ... 2,983 2,729 254 — Wailaki ... 2,289 2,598 — 309 Wakatipu ... 2,180 1,870 310 — Wallace ... 2,176 3,954 . 222 ■— Westland . . . 3.085 1,446 1,639 — Totals .. 226,367 238,568