LOCAL OPTION POLLS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2947, 4 June 1891, Page 2

LOCAL OPTION POLLS.

TO THE EDITOR. •Siii, —Some few issues back I noticed a communication from a Waikato correspondent to the N.Z. Herald, commenting on the fact that only ono vote, and that the returning officer's, had been recorded at one of the local option polls hold in the Wnikato, and the fact was emphasised in a leader of the same issue. I have been waiting, expecting to hear a contradiction of this statement, but reading in the light of two adveitisements appearing in your issue of Tuesday last, and in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, I am forced to the conclusion that the information contained in the Herald is substantially correct. Tho question that presents itself to my mind is ; Is a local option poll so conducted a legal one? Tho electoral clauses of tho Licensing Act, 18U1, are carried out under the Regulation of Local Elections Act, 187(i, and are incorporated with the former Act. The returning officer is allowed only a casting vote, which is to be exercised only in the ca=o of an equality of votes being recorded for any two or more candidates. I conclude for the word "candidate," yon would read "proposal" in tho prosent instance. As the wholo question of taking a poll under the local option clauses of tho Licening Act is of considerable interest anil importance, I do not *>hinlc that an instance such as this should bo involved in any doubt as to jts logality, 1 havo heard it argued that a poll at which no rotes aro recorded within tho specified time lapses, and Siich a contingency has been provided for in the fifty-second clause of tho Licensing Aot, 1«H1, Under these circumstances, I think it would bo well for tho Waipa County Council to get an authoritative opinion. You will of course understand, Sir, that I am only writing this assuming that the Herald is correct in its information. —Yours, &c., E. L.