THE LICENSING POLL.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1919, Page 4

THE LICENSING POLL.

THE LATEST FIGURES, t

PROHIBITION MINORITY NOW 62^

On Saturday a statement gained cur< rency that as a result of the counting of absent votes prohibition had been carried by a small majority. No official intimation to this effect, however, had reached us at an early hour this morning. The absent votes ihould have been counted on Wednesday, but), evidently the holidays have interfered with the work. The results, however, should be available to-day or to-morrow. Some misunderstanding exists M to the position of the voting. The gtltral opinion is that prohibition, in order to win, must poll more votes than continuance and State purchase combined. 1 This, it appears, is not so, prohibition winning if there is in its favor an abi solute majority of the total valid votef cast.

The Act under which the poll was takeit provides that, in order to be carried, an issue must poll an absolute majority' of the votes cast, that is, more thatt half of the total votes. It also pro* vides that in the event of no IIMBT Imu curing the requisite number of continuance shall be deemed to bt ett« ried. T The totals on Saturday were:—t ■ Continuance 233,644 ' I State Purchase w' 80,960. | Prohibition ...002,630' j S Total votes cast cv.v. - 627,130 An absolute majority of the abov* U therefore 263,560, so that so far pith hibition fails by 92& and not by IMS as is commonly supposed. If 57 per cent of the absent votes favor prohibition then that issue must be carried. lQtl« April poll 55.4 per cent of the absintf votes favored prohibition.

| A BIG BLUNDER, THAT "8,000 MAJORITY." It was currently reported in Welling* ton during last and tne preceding wwtf that in connection with the Dominion vote on tiie licensing issues prohibition was in the lead by 5000 votes. On Fri« day the majority had dropped to 8800, but on Saturday it was aemi-offieiftljy stated to a New Zealand Time* ttptDsentative that the majority t»a» mlljr 5000. A prominent prohibition WoMttt it a ted that he had been officially ihfOftt* ed by. the Rev. R. S. Gray that &• {*&• hibition majority was at stated, tttt that such a commanding lead had tlimi secured that prohibition was altnotf ttt'-i tain. These figures did not tally With: the official results supplied by t£« electoral officer, and much tpeotlltfMh arose as to how such appareatty tMI authenticated but decidedly mmfcadins details came to be circulated. i Th?. following paragraph taken-fwm ' the Gisborno Herald throw* some Mght on tho subject:—"A telephone sttMaie was received from Wellington «xp]*Sßaut the position with respect to the ljee#Sr poll. In counting the telegraphic returns to Wellington, it appear*,, certain ot the continuance and prohibition VOM« were confused, making a difference i& the result of 3000 votes. Thte aoeouati for the 5000 majority which was olafaxff \" e position, as now ascertained, gun the Trade a lead of ove- 1000 vote*. The final result, however, was uncertain, and the actual position would not be knoftt for some days. In any cats," in' tjfo opinion of the Rev. R. S.'Gray, it ilfo.ing to be a very close poll."