THE LICENSING ACT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8820, 17 March 1914, Page 2

THE LICENSING ACT.

Olio 9? the most important provisions in the Licensing Act is directed towards the prevention of drink reaching young people, and the Legislature has placed heavy penalties at the^ disposal of Magistrates to punish licensees who serve people under the age of 21 years. At the same time, however, the law does not prevent young boys obtaining liquor and getting drunk. On Saturday night (says the " Lyttel- . ton Times ") the case of a youth, aged 20, came up to show the weakness of the legislation, which only deals with the supply of liquor for consumption on licensed premises. Children of tender years often procure liquor from hotels, and Christchurch within a year or so has known cases of boys . under 16 who have been intoxicated. ' They obtain drink by buying it for consumption outside the hotel. It has been' urged that amendments to the law are required to meet • the special cases that step through the original measure. A provision by the Legislature that no one under 21 years should be permitted to have intoxicants in !his possession would go a long way to meet the difficulty. Steps should be taken to prevent young people getting intoxicants at all. The provision, it has been stated, would lead to a cessation of the practice of sending children to bottle and jug departments for beer, which has a harmful influence. ' The Act at present is faulty, and does not accomplish in this direction what it was actually designed to do. It is understood that efforts will be made next session to secure' the amendments required.