LICENSING POLL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1938, Page 6

LICENSING POLL

LARGE MAJORITY AGAINST PROHIBITION INCREASED VOTE FOR STATE CONTROL. FIGURES SO FAR ANNOUNCED. The national licensing poll resulted, as was expected, in a great majority of votes against prohibition, the figures, on the available results, being more than two to one in favour of continuance as against no-licence. The licensing poll was completely overshadowed in public interest by the electoral issue, though the voting was, of course, on an almost equally heavy basis. The returns from 54 electorates, out of 69 licensing districts, give the following result: — ' Votes. Per cent. Continuance 39.5,656 60.702 No-licence 187,351 28.743 State purchase 68,788 10,553 Total 651,795 The total pumber of votes cast at the national licensing poll in 1935 was 821,757, of which 521,167, or 63.421 per cent., were for continuance, 243,091, or 29.583 per cent., for no-licence, and 57,499, or 6.995 per cent, were for State purchase and control. On the present incomplete returns it would appear that there has been an increase in the vote for State purchase and control as against continuance, there being relatively little change in the nolicence vote. LOCAL OPTION NARROW MARGINS IN SOME ELECTORATES. NO CHANGES INDICATED. Eight of the 12 results of voting in no-licence districts on the local option issue have been announced. Of these, four districts —Invercargill, Masterton, Mataura and Wellington South —showed majorities in favour of restoration, but none was sufficiently large to affect the present position. Invercargill and Mataura went nearest to the required three-fifths majority. The former district was 288 votes and Mataura was 168 votes short of the necessary majority. Details of the voting on Saturday are as follow: — Restora- NoDistrict. tion. Licence. Auckland Suburbs .... 5340 5489 Invercargill 7548 5513 Masterton 5290 4517 Mataura 5566 3992 Roskill 4702 8480 Wellington East 5806 7417 Wellington South 6625 5991 Wellington West* - 6341 7415 "Formerly called Wellington Suburbs.