THE LIQUOR BILL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVII, Issue 9126, 23 October 1917, Page 2

THE LIQUOR BILL.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL'S

AMENDMENTS

WELLINGTON, October 22

In the Legislative Council tiiis afternoon, tiie Hon. Sir Francis Bell explained the agreement reached by the Managers appointed by the two Chambers to consider the Council's amendments to the Sale of Liquor Restriction Bill. The Mauagers iiad failed, he said, >to agree regarding Clause 4d (stipulating for "dry" meals on licensed premises before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m.) and 4e (containing definition of licensed premises). A new clause had been inserted by agreement- providing that holders of brewers' and wholesale licenses might sell and deliver liquor between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. 1 The extra hours in the morning were intended to provide for the use of morning trains and early steamers. Chartered clubs were placed on exactly the same footing as hotels.

Sir William Hall-Jones: Are you doing away with the, lockers?-

Sir Francis Boll: "Yes." He went on to say that increased discretion had been allowed to the Minister in regard 'to breaches of the Act by chartered clubs. If a Magistrate reported after enquiry that the terms of the .charter had been violated, the Minister, was required to cancel the charter, but the Minister was not compelled, as he had been under the original elau.se, to set on foot ah enquiry whenever an inspector reported that breaches had occurred. The original clause had been too severe in view of the fact that three endorsements* of an hotel license were required to compel cancellation. The managers had felt that a Magistrate might have strong personal views on the licensing, question. The Hon. J. T. Paul:' The Minister might have strong Views. Sir Francis Bell: The discretion of the Minister is unfettered at the present time. „ The Hpn,. O. Samuel., pointed out that accommodation houses did not appear to be covered by the clause relating to meals on licensed premises outside trading hours. , Sir Francis Bell promised to consider this point. Sir Francis Bell moved that the Council should agree to another conference on Clauses 4d and 4e, and should appoint the, Hon. G. Carson, the Hon. Sir. William Hall-Jones, the Hon. C. A. C. Hardy, and the mover, to meet the Managers for the House of Representatives. ' ... The motion was carried. When the Legislative Council resumed at 10.50 to-night, Sir Francis Bell said that the Managers appointed by. the Council to confer with the i-e----presentatives of the other Chamber regarding the amendments to the Sale of Liquor Restriction Bill and reached an agreement. The Conference had , adopted in place of 4d a new clause, providing that in licensed premises where a substantial evening meal was regularly' served jn a rpom : , regularly set apart and used as a dining : room, liquor might be served between 6 p.m. and;Bp.m.. to persons partaking of the evening meal, the liquor: to be consumed as part of the meal and not otherwise. This new clause would meet legitimate needs without allowing the dining-rooms to become mere drinking shops. The Hon. VV. Earnshaw said the clause seemed to make it possible for a person to consume unlimited -liquor between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. ( The Hon. J. MacGregor said that the compromise proposed would open a wide door for the evasion of the Act. The Bill purported to prevent the sale of liquor after 6 p.m., but the new clause Sallowed liquor to be sold until 8 p.m. He would oppose the cli»«se. Sir Francis Bell said that tne iit^cssary safeguards had been provided. The 1 meal had to be a substantial one, served regularly in a dining-room, and the liquor had to be sold to a person taking the meal, and consumed as a part of the meal. The; clause" would not enable a person to take liquor without a real meal, and would not open a door to general evasion. The Hon. W. Earnshaw: Would not the clause enable a man to buy a whole bottle of whisky and drink it all between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.? Sir Francis Bell: Yes, or a bottle of champagne, if he could. ' The Council accepted the agreement by 13 votes to 3, the minority consisting of the Hon. Messrs J. Barr, T. MacGibbqn, and J. MacGregor. " The House of Repmsentativea,' on the motion of the Prime Minister, agreed to the report of the conference on the Sale of Liquor! Restriction