LICENSING POLL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2353, 20 November 1908, Page 6

LICENSING POLL.

LATEST RESULTS

The following are the latest returns in connection with the licensing .pe l: EDEN, Continuance ... ... 2207 Reduction ... ... 3821 No-licenso . ... ... 4015 No-license curried by 197 votes. WELLINGTON SUBURBS. Continuance ... ... 2437 Reduction ... ... 3270 No-licenso ... ... 4149 No-.lieciiso carried by 33 majority. WESTLAND. Continuance ... ... 3123 Reduction • ...' ... 1232 No-license - ... ... 1823 One small return unavailable. Will increase continuance vole- slightly. DUNEDIN SOUTH. Continuance ... ... 3221 Reduction ... ... 3700 No-license ... ... 4049 Valid votes 731(5. Reduction carried by 42 votes. TAIERT. Continuance ... ... IS6O Reduction ... ... 2405 No-license ... ... 2739 Number of voters 4615. Reduction carried by* 97 votes.

THE HUTT POLL

[Press Association.]

WELLINGTON, Nov. 19

The latest in regard to the local option poll at the Hutt is that there ■are 5 votes short of the number required for No-licenso. There are still 62 absent voters’ papers to come in, and tolegmphic advices show that 53 of these votes have been recorded.

THE MAN UK AU POLL

[Press Association.]

AUCKLAND, Nov. 19. Keen interest is taken in the final results of Manukau licensing poll, the question of no-licenso hanging in the balance. The present figures are: Continuance 2243, reduction 393, no-license 3352. The v»i lid votes, calculated on the basis of the Parliamentary vote, give 46 short of Nolieense, but this cannot be taken as more than approximate, while about fifty absentee votes, have vet- to be counted. The question of legality of the poll of habitual drunkards ui Pakatoa Island has-been raised, but it appears they are not on the r.v.ne footing as the occupants of gaols.

A NO-LICENSE OPINION

THE DOMINION WILL COON BE FREE OF THE TRAFFIC.”

[Press Association.]

AUCKLAND,

Nov. 19

Mr. Wesley Spragg, President of the New Zealand Alliance, speaking to-day on the results achieved by the No-licenso party, snid: “It must ho borne in mind that all our work, every scrap of it, is of the voluntary sort, either in gift or service. Naturally, our organisation is defective. On the other hand, we are opposing the wealthiest, most interested, and best-organised of combinations; and the magnificent result can only be accounted for by a widespread and growing recognition that the liquor traffic is inimical to the interests of a people. The liquor question is up for settlement throughout the civilisedworld, and there is only one way in which it can ho settled, 'and that is by its abolition. With what we have learned and whit he have gained, as object, lessons and as a starting point, we think wc can forecast that Auckland City, as well as its out-districts, will shortly rid itself of the liquor turtle; and that the Dominion itself will soon be free of the traffic and its attendant evils.” THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY. A STRONG RESOLUTION, [Press Association.] DUNEDIN, Nov. IS.

At the meeting of the 'Presbyterian General Assembly to-day, the following resolution was agreed to —“That this Assembly records its gratitude to God. for the success attending the local option polls yesterday. - It heartily congratulates those electorates which have carried No-licenso for the first time and those in which reduction has been carried, -and rejoices that wherever previously in force No-license has been maintained. The Assembly would add a special word of congratulation to the No-license people of Dunedin for the* magnificent result of their fight, and the Assembly looks Howard to a complete victory at the next- local option poll. The Assembly further 'renews its determination to wage increasing war against the evils of the liquor traffic, and in view of the evils wrought by this scourge on our race, this Assembly would hail with acclamations of joy and thanksgiving the utter extermination of the traffic in intoxicating liquor as a beverage by the power of Christian conscience, public opinion, •ancl the strong arm of the civil law.”

THE POLLING.

A FORECAST.

In. view of the returns now to hand the following note from a Wellington journal is of interest: —The Rev. F. W. Isitt, when asked on Monday to give a forecast of the general result of the 'licensing polls, betrayed a very cautious dispositon. In regard to the North Island, he expressed the opinion that the energetic and systematic work that had been done justified the hope that No-license would be carried in severed districts, such aslGisborne, Masterton, Hutt, and some of the Taranaki electorates. He had xiot been an the (South Island lately, but, judging from the re ports of comrades, there was reason to be hopeful in regard to several disr* tricts. He would not' say. anything about the cities, except that it was a very big task to carry a city for No-licenso against tho three-filths handicap. One of the most remarkable features of ’the campaign was the remarkable advance of _No-license-sentiment in the Nelson "electorate, where he thought the movement would at least reach the borderland of victory., Bui lor also, according to the statements of workers in the district, was yery hope-fail.

When "Wellington was mentioned, Mr Isitt absolutely • declined to in drawn, but another representative o. ■the party expressed confident opinion that would bo carried .n Wellington South and reduction in the City.

AFTER THE POLL.

LOCAL OPTION VOTES

[Special to “Times.”]

WELLINGTON, Nov. 19

Many ’adverse comments arc being made on the fact that .so many officers in charge of polling places failed to realise, in communicating to tlieir local returning officers, that the number nival id votes polled is an essential factor in determining the result. Owing to this unfortunate omission definite conclusion in regard to many electorates is'still uncertain. It seems that, in all, about 150 hotels will have to cease selling liquor in Juno next, as the result of the local option poll. Thecarrying of reduction will put 42 out of • business, and there are eleven outside hotels recently included within the boundaries of prohibition .districts that will now lose their licenses. A LIQUOR TRADE VIEW.

Mr. T. M. Smith, the organiser for the Wellington liquor interests, is mot down-hearted at the result of " the local option polling, for he thinks it is a passing phase. He looks forward to a great awakening of the people in consequence of the evils which, he says, invariably follow No-license. Mr. Smith says it is clear that the vote for the whole country has been remarkably small, and that the Nolicense party has managed to do a great deal "of damage on a much smaller poll than it obtained three years ago. In fact, No-licenso has really not advanced at all, but rather has gone back. Ho complains of the indifference of voters who do not go to the poll. In regard: lo owners and licensees, he said, but more especially the former, the losses would be very heavy indeed, for the difference in value of h hotel with and without its license was a considerable sum, though one almost impossible to compute. In country districts most of the hotel properties would be unsaleable in all probability, 'and while in the towns some might be ■altered to. serve other purposes, the expense wound be very heavy. Absolute’ ruiu stared many licensees in tlie face, for in- some cases, after putting into a hotel the savings of a lifetime, they would have to walk out on June 30th next with practically nothing": and even those who did retain a little would be entering into competition with people in other businesses. It was really impossible even to estimate the total losses, but it was certain that in the great proportion of eases they would be exceedingly heavy. THE PROHIBITION!ST VIEW—MR ISITT’S OPINION. Mr. F. W. Isitt, secretary of the Now Zealand Alliance, looks at the matter through different spectacles. “We look upon the result with the utmost satisfaction,” he says, “lor even in its incomplete" state the majority for No-iicense, regarded as a Dominion vote, is somewhat larger than ,iu 1905, when the figures were: Continuance 182,884, reduction 151,057. No-license 198,768. Further than this, the districts from which returns have still to come in will, many of them, certainly be largely in- our favor. Roughly speaking, I think we will have about 24,000 more votes than we had three years ago. Out of 54 electorates whose returns have been received up to this afternoon, only ■ nine have actually carried continu- \ a nee- by a ma jority.” \ “It was Bruce,” said Mr. Isitt, j over which the party was really the : most pleased, for on previous occasious that district had lost by (some technicality what it li-ad fairly won. In fact, they felt more delighted about the result hi that electorate than any of the others, much as they were pleased over all the victories. As to the- future, Mr. Isitt said, it was difficult to say how long it would take to get- No-license all over New Zealand,- but he certainly expected to see it before he died, and he was now over sixty years of age. The trouble was that some of the electorates were so far behind in the matter, and that in somo remote districts there were so many more bars and so much more drinking. However, there was very great cause for encouragement in the undoubted success attending.. _ No-li-cense in some of tlie older districts like Clut-ha. For the last twelve years he had been trying to induce all sorts of people to go with him to Clutlia to hear wliat the people there would tell concerning the effects of No-li-cense, but so far lie had never, succeeded'. On one occasion a prominent lecturer publicly accepted the challenge, but was not able to accommodate himself to any of the three dates suggested - for the trip. The party courted the fullest enquiry, and while there would always be found some slygrog selling in the newly converted electorates, such as existed in every licensed district of any size, there would also ho discovered an enormous preponderating testimony from trust-, worthy people that the benefits of No-licenso were very great. THE STRUGGLE IN HUTT.

The President of the Hutt Valley Licensed Victuallers’ Association, Air. H. Palmer, admits that the issue in the Hutt electorate was fought out on its merits, and that the. trade was fairly beaten. Over a thousand people, however, did not vote. Ho believed that if a strong candidate from the Opposition side had been contesting the seat, a much greater number of people would have gone -to the polls. . The Rev. Air. Wilson, of Pet-one, who had taken an active part in the Hutt No-license campaign, bicycled 30 miles in order to record his vote.- He is loud in his praises of tho completeness of the Hutt organisation. “As to tho working of No-licenso in the district,” ho said, “difficulties always hang round the early stages of any new movement socially. Where a channel for the waters to run smoothly docs not exist ,wo have to creato that channel. To some extent, when the sense of strangeness disappears, the people will -readily adapt themselves to the new condition. W.ith such a large.body of opinion at oujbacks, strict enforcement of tho law is practically guaranteed. For a time wo may have to face the sly-grog difficulty, but I do not anticipate it will be great. At least five or six sly-grog shops are known, to exist at present

iii Jho district and a vigorous "search would probably increase the number.” Mr. Wilson thinks the peoplo in the Hull will now have to do something in the direction of providing recreation, entertainment, and other attractions which have to- some extent been realised in the sociability and com-panion-ship of the open bar system. “Here,” ho says, “there is a very large .number of young men who would welcome such an institution. It is our duty, I think, to do something for them.”

WELLINGTON WALLED IN BY PROHIBITION.

There is now a wall of prohibition around Wellington City. In the immediate neighborhood twenty-two hotels will have to- close their doom. A number of people will be thrown out of employment, but it is pointed out that there is any amount of work for domestics and others in the city and the country. The Trentham racecourse is in the- Hutt No-license area, and no strong liquor can be sold on the Wellington Jockey Club’s premises after June next.

A RACE MEETING WITHOUT LIQUOR.

“A big metropolitan*race meeting without a booth will,” says the “Post,” “be a distinct- novelty, and it will be interesting to sec how far the operations of the club will lie- affected bv the carrying of No-license in Hutt. The club, as far as can be gathered, does not anticipate any loss in revenue. The booth rents, which up to the present time have been disposed ’of by public auction, will be recouped to a certain extent by the sale of the temperance drink stands. It is also probable that the “locker system” will come into vogue. There is said to be nothing in the- law preventing clubs with charters taking out quantities, of liquor and giving it to their members. The racing club, it is stated, rail legally supply its own members with liquor bo- long as it does not sell it, but the average racegoer will require to ‘shift ior hims-eIP or get- along on lemonade or ginger beer.”