"NO CHANGE"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 119, 22 May 1945, Page 6

"NO CHANGE"

HOTEL BAR HOURS

POLICE EXPERIENCES

Experiences gained during 44 years' service in the Police Force were told to the Royal Commission on Licensing to-day by Charles William Lopdell, superientendent of, »police at Wellington until his retirement early this year The witness was called by the Crown. Prior to the introduction of 6 p.m. closing in 1917, said witness, the only times hotels were closed were from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. In some slum areas in Wellington, for queues of men were to be seen coming and going from hotels between those hours. The six o clock closing heralded a change in the habits of the people, and in the postwar years, while the liquor temptation continued for men about the streets, many went to their homes to join their families. Pictures and other entertainments became more popular. Licensees to whom he had spoken were unanimous that six o'clock should be continued. Some con--sidered it "a blessing." Until the present war the general public appeared to- be -satisfied with six o'clock closing. King Country Position Witness expressed the belief that the regulations relating to the King Country proclaimed area should be enforced until such time as the Maoris consented to changes. He would favour the granting of licenses in the King Country provided such would eliminate illegal sales of liquor. The opening of hotels in the area would mean that supplies for workers, such as those in sawmills, would be more easily obtained. The sly-grogger . would continue in areas where there were no hotels, but it was possible that a new form of illegal trading might arise. The presence of 10 or 15 hotels would multiply the quantities of liquor going into the King Country by several hundred per cent. He had never seen much sign of "doped" liquor, the sly-grogger being jealous and selling liquor to his customers as he bought it. There were other sly-groggers, however, who adulterated supplies in order to increase quantities. In answer to Mr. J. D. Willis; counsel assisting the Commission, witness said he agreed that the penalties for breaches of licensing Jaws should be made heavier. Hotel Terms Witness submitted that the terms of leases and of managers should be examined by some suitable body such as a licensing committee. He had received complaints from men who had taken over the management of a hotel either as, managers or as lessees and had found that the business, as shown on the books, could only be maintained by after-hour trading. Witness suggested that leases should be for longer periods

r| in order to overcome licensees bem ing penalised, if they built up the H "businesses; by having to pay. an. inlf!K rrpncspH vpnf (r "We have had a lot of difficulty, in RH connection: with the supplying of In liquor to "bona fide- hotel lodgers," HI said witness, who submitted that if H the law was to continue to give a BE lodger the right to have liquor after | hours it should be in glasses and not ■ in containers which could be taken H off the premises. Si Witness instanced a case which H came under his notice where a hotel H lodger, who was a member of a footf|j ball club, would ring the. hotel for a If supply of liquor to be sent to the §}( club. He pointed out that the lodger H was at that/time within his legal. HP rights and the police were unable to Kg take any action. if . Lodgers' Guests E The ex-superintendent expressed ■1 the opinion that lodgers should not ffi be allowed to supply guests with if liquor after hours. 7 'This has been an » almost insuperable problem," he said, f "We used to have 10 or 15 servicel men coming into a : hotel and taking f rooms while the rest of the 'regiment' i would be their guests " - f The powers given to the police to f close premises under special eircum- } stances were not wide enough, and he I suggested that power should be given { to some licensing authority to close It hotels when it was deemed necessary. I The present position was governed K by the term "riot and tumult, and H 'he pointed out that this was not E effective in the case of an earthquake. |®j "i think licensing,committees have H served a good-purpose and I/:have If found them very helpful," said . witII ness. Be' H should be ihcreased;andjther& should HI be some central controlling- body, or Hi licensing tribunal set over'the, comK mittees to co-ordinate and deal with |W licensing matters generally. j£s Witness had visited race meetings H in the Hamilton district and TrenK tham and had found the liquor i|| booths generally well conducted, but D he thought that in the interest of H road safety the hours" of closing H booths should be laid down. He had H 'put it to licensing committees in the H§ : district that booths should be closed H at the scheduled starting time of the H last race. Stt "Bide the Last Race Again" |i The public would.be busy watchH ing the race at this time and there H would be no difficulty for the licenH see,, or for the police, if the booths H were then closed. The danger with K allowing the booth to remain open ■< after the meeting was that some who B- Were sober prior, to the last race had ■ -another dring or two and when they ■ drove home they "were riding the B last race over again." ...• / ■ : -Mr. Willis told witness that repreB sentations had been made by the ■ trade that the triennial polls deterred ■ , them from carrying: out large-scale 'improvements and asked his views on this matter. Witness considered that the polls were:in the public interest and that it was a matter of "small consideration to the trade to;make big improvements.. -Monetary penalties for after-hour trading were inadequate, , witness stated.- - '' •"A tremendous volume of' the domestic difficulties "the p6lice have to' deal with have a distinct 'drink background,' and our powers are very, very limited," witness said when asked as to his experience with social problems. "There is a good deal of crime in which liquor has not got a part, but there is also a gdod deal in which there is a liquor background," he added. " To Mr. C. F. Spratt, representing the New Zealand Alliance, witness said the best reform ever carried out 1$ Was the six o'clock closing, from the fl poi-t + of view of the public, the police 8 and tne trade itself. He was strongly R. opposed to opening the hotels after » 6 p.m., and while he had high reEg .gard for the two police officers who ■te,\ :had given evidence, he did not think Rfe'lhatohey would advocate later hours ■S&idfcitliey had had his experience with later closing.