LICENSING POLL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 October 1943, Page 3

LICENSING POLL

RESTORATION CARRIED IN INVERCARGILL - 45 VOTES OVER THREE-FIFTHS MAJORITY CHANGE AFTER 38 YEARS (By Telegraph—Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, October 29. Restoration of liquor licensing has been carried in Invercargill. The figures for the overseas voting were received by the returning officer this afternoon. They gave a total of 1396 for restoration and 317 for no licence. With the civilian votes this makes the totals: Restoration, 8590; no licence, 5651. Therefore restoration has a majority of 45 2-5 votes over and above the necessary three-fifths. The voting in the forces received today was as follows: New Zealand, 570 for restoration, 146 for no licence; England, 36, 7; Middle East, 491, 84; Pacific, 272, 73; Canada, 21, 7; mercantile marine and Chatham Islands, 6,0; totals, 1396, 317. When'the official count of the civilian votes in the local option issue was completed on October 6 the result was: Restoration, 7194; nb licence, 5334. The deficit for restoration on the three- ■ fifths majority was 322 4-5 votes. This by the soldiers' votes has been changed, to a majority for restoration of 45 2-5. The chief electoral officer advised that there were still 250 outstanding forces votes for the Dominion. Ten of them are for Invercargill, so these can make no difference to the issue. Invercargill “went dry” as the result of the voting at the election in December. 1905, so that it is 38 years since no licence was carried. Enforcement of no licence was not brought about, however, till June 30, 1906. On that day 16 hotels in Invercargill with licences closed their premises, for the purpose of selling liquor, for the last time. As in the days when no-licence was carried, a three-fifths majority of the valid votes cast was again required at this election. In 1905 the issue was keenly contested. Forty or more hotels which originally existed in Invercargill had been gradually reduced by the 1 “reduction” polls of those years, and it was cleai’ that the prohibitionists were strongly organised in their attempts to rid the town of licensed hotels. “Reduction” also was one of the issues at the 1905 poll, but though the reduction vote was greater by 800 odd votes than the continuance vote, it was superseded by the no-licence vote, which won the day by the narrow margin of 10 3-5 votes.

The Licensing Amendment Act, 1910, provides that in the event of an electorate determining in favour of the restoration of licences in any district a licensing committee shall be elected on the day appointed by the GovernorGeneral by notice in the Gazette. This committee has the power to grant publicans’ licences. The number of licences granted shall not exceed one for every complete 500 electors of the district at the time of the poll and shall not be less (if such number of licences are applied for) than one for every complete 1000 electors. The applications from the owners of premises in respect of which a publican’s licence was in existence at the time of coming into force of local no-licence shall be given preference over applications by other persons, provided no objection is established.