CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 29, 3 February 1945, Page 4

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

THE LICENSING COMMISSION

(To the Editor)

While there is much to be commended in your article on the ap. pointment of the Royal Commission on licensing laws, there are some matters that call for comment You are certainly mistaken in supposing that "the various special interests have adequate representation on the commission." The exact opposite is the case. Though women form half the population, and have special interests in the domestic results of the sale of liquor, they are com. pletely ignored. Not one woman has been appointed to the commission The medical profession possesses special knowledge of the effects of alcohol on the health of the com. munity, but the commission is left without the advantage of a medical member. The police have been obliged to make special study of the voluminous and intricate licensing laws, but they have no place on the commission. Moreover, though two representatives of the financially interested liquor trade have been appointed, not one single member has been appointed to represent the 269,000 electors who voted for the abolition of the liquor traffic, without the inducement of financial gain Apparently only two special interests have been considered worthy of representation—the trade, and the church, with a preponderance for the trade. While we may not question the suitability of men whose qualifications are not known, objection inusc be taken to the deliberate omission of representatives of those who are specially concerned regarding the licensing laws and the results of the licensed sale of intoxicating liquor. Perhaps it is not yet too late to remedy an obvious wrong, otherwise the public will have little confidence in the commission and less in the sense and sincerity of the Government. L. E. FALKNER, Secy., N.Z. Alliance, Auckland Area. There is a serious defect in the personnel of the Licensing Commission, and that is the absence of women. The commission is to make one of the most important social investigations in our history, and one that is long overdue. Existing conditions and possible reforms are of as much interest to women as to men. Women can make their own valuable contributions to the difficult complex task of reform. They might, for example, have a lot to say about catering in hotels. Housekeeping is their speciality. That a large commission has been set up on such a subject without a woman on it is another illustration of the fact that we in this country make less use of women in public affairs than they do in Britain. I shall be surprised and disappointed if women's organisations don't have something to say about this. I make the respectful suggestion to the Minister that he forestall further criticism by adding a woman, or even two women, to the commission. GRANDFATHER.