THE LICENSING POLL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1919, Page 5

THE LICENSING POLL.

, A TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. Regarding the licensing poll in April, the Secretary of the Seamen's Union complains that no seaman can vote unless he U in port by the poll. Consequently, about 4000 men will be unable to vote. He says the absent voters' rights are useless to men unable to say where they are likely to be on the day of the poll. His union considers every inember of a ship's crew sailing under New Zealand articles should have an opportunity to vote.

Referrifig to fie complaint. by the seamen regarding the votes for "the licensing foil, Si) - James Ailen has been advised by Sir Dillon Bell that the technical difficulty created by the fact that no writ, as at a general election, can be issued can be got over to provide for such possible events. The words, "with all necessary modifications," were inserted in subSection. two, section 24, of the Licensing Ait. Those words would enable the fixing of a date precedent to the poll as equivalent to the date of the issue of a writ, and such date could be fixed by regulation under the Licensing Act. Probably it would be a date between March 20 and 27 to correspond approximately with the time elapsing between the issue of tla- writ and the date of polling at a general election.