PARTIAL PROHIBITION 69 
hopes to see this country imitate the example of New 
Zealand, which at successive triennial local option 
polls succeeded in obtaining a no-licence majority in 
rapidly increasing numbers of the electoral areas, till 
at the last poll it was voted for in 67 out of the 76 
areas. This movement, if it advanced still further, 
might be expected to lead to total prohibition; but is 
this likely to be the case in New Zealand ? Since the 
last local option poll was taken in 1911, the movement 
in favour of total prohibition has shown no signs of 
progressing. The vote for prohibition in 1914 was 
much less favourable than in 1911; and again, that 
taken in 1922, under changed conditions of voting, 
was less favourable than that of 1919, though the 
1925 vote showed a slight recovery. It looks as if the 
local option system was successful chiefly because the 
element of compulsion was lacking. Such people as 
desire drink can still legally obtain all that they want by 
private importation, and those who have not the desire, 
or the means, go without. Owing to the closure of all 
public houses, temptation is removed from their doors, 
and in consequence the consumption of alcohol fell 
to about a tenth that observed in “licence” areas. No 
smuggling or illicit distillation developed, because 
there was no need for it. It seems not unlikely that 
even the small consumption of alcohol now observed 
in ‘ no-licence ’’ areas will gradually die down, as the 
old generation passes away and the new generation, 
which has never acquired the taste for alcoholic liquor, 
grows up. 
How near are we in this country to this desirable 
condition of affairs? We have seen that the three 
local option polls in Scotland have met with com-