Puketaha District Votes for Prohibition
In the 1919 General Election Puketaha voted 94% in favour of prohibition.
3 votes for Continuance, 0 votes for State Purchase & Control, 48 votes for Prohibition.
It was a dramatic general election in the sense that the prohibition vote – the banning of alcohol - almost won the day. They lost by a mere 1600 votes. This was as close as the prohibition movement ever got to win the popular vote.
It’s just interesting that the polling booth at Puketaha voted one the highest percentages for the prohibition of alcohol in the Raglan electorate
Below is a comparison of the Prohibition vote with other nearby districts.
Puketaha 94% voted for Prohibition
Rototuna 72%
Newstead 65%
Ruakura 55%
Matangi 52%
Gordonton 50%
Tauwhare 31%
Eureka 28%
The Raglan seat was retained by the sitting MP, Richard Francis Bollard (1863-1927) - Reform Party. Bollard won 52% of the popular vote in the electorate.
Prime Minister, William Massey (Reform Party) formed a coalition government with the Liberal Party - a centre right, conservative government.
Results of the 1919 general election:
Reform Party: 35.63% of the popular vote.
Liberal Party: 30.14%
Labour Party: 24.25%
Independents: 9.98%
The Labour Party, founded in 1916, was rapidly growing in support. Labour would, in 1935, sweep to power with a massive majority. In 1936 the Reform Party, Liberal Party and others joined forces to become known as the National Party.