10 O’CLOCK CLOSING OF HOTELS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27664, 21 May 1955, Page 3

10 O’CLOCK CLOSING OF HOTELS

Sir, —As a member of the licensed trade, I feel that I am entitled to comment in reply to “Down With 10 O’clock Closing.” I feel that opponents of the reform are. misguided in many ways. First, I wonder if they saw a film a short time ago showing the results of it in New South Wales. Australia. It showed thousands of men and their wives leaving the hotels at 10 o’clock; and from all appearances, there was not one person under the influence of liquor. Secondly, one of your correspondents said that hotelkeepers wanted 10 o’clock closing so that they might grab more money. This 1S a real fallacy, because those of us who are in close touch with the Licensed Victuallers’ Association know that liquor sales have fallen considerably since the introduction of longer hours in Australia.—Yours, etc., HOTELKEEPER. May 18, 1955.

Sir,—l wish “1.5. T. to know that I am not as muddled as he will be if he spends all his evening in a hotel from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. What an ambition! I advise him to indulge in a hobby and use the brains God gave him instead of abusing them. It was after visiting England that I decided to vote for prohibition. Does “1.5. T. wish me to believe that late closing will be the end of accidents and broken beer bottles? I know for a fact that licensing laws in England are not rigidly enforced. Recently an acquaintance informed me that her husband was very anxious to invest his money in a hotel, but said that they were afraid that their son might take to drink. No thought for the other mother’s son. That is human nature. —Yours, etc., DOWN WITH 10 O’CLOCK mr CLOSING. May 19, 1955.

Sir,—What is coming to our country th3t unthinking persons are advocating that hotels be made so attractive that they lure parents away from their homes? Isn’t that their lawful place and auty? Many parents do not need encouragement to neglect their homes and children, but with the added curse of 10 o’clock closing, this would be intensified. As for the “guzzlers,” they would only have longer hours to drink in. By police reports we know drink is obtainable after 6 o’clock to a large extent by these “guzzlers.” The temperate man is content with 6 o’clock closing and is happy to spend his evening hours at home. If a man wants a glass of beer for supper let him buy it when hotels are open. If a housewife wants biscuits for supper she buys during shopping hours and doesn’t expect the shop people to open to satisfy her tastes.—Yours, etc., DOWN WITH 10 O’CLOCK CLOSING NO. « May 20, 1955. j