BAR CLOSING IN VICTORIA

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27928, 27 March 1956, Page 13

BAR CLOSING IN VICTORIA

“No-Confidence Vote” (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) • Rcc. 8 p.m.) MELBOURNE. March 26 Victorians seemed to have passed a vote of no-confidence in themselves, said the president of the United Licensed Victuallers’ Association (Mr J. E. Kellaway) of the result of the poll on bar closing times. Voters in Victoria rejected a change from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. closing by 750.073 votes to 485,444 on Saturday About 90.0C0 postal votes are still to be counted. “They apparently do not feel they can trust themselves to behave as civilised beings under proper hours and conditions . . Now the public have decided in favour of 6 p.m. closing, I hope that unfavourable comment on the 5-6 p.m. ‘swill’ will cease,” he said.

“The U.L.V.A. will resist any move to extend trading hours during the Olympic Games. “It would be hpyocrisy to have late closing just for the games.” The “Argus,” in a leading article today, said that Mr Kellaway was quite wrong in his remarks about the people of Victoria haying passed a vote of no-confidence in themselves. “The decisive vote of ‘no confidence’ was passed not on the public of Victoria —but on the publicans," said the newspaper.

“The U.L.V.A.’s referendum - campaign was based on the catch cry: ‘End the 6 o’clock swill —vote for civilised drinking.’ But the vast majority of publicans offered no positive plan for civilised drinking.” The “Argus” said that most publicans gave no promises to extend their premises or provide entertainment and that a large proportion of them actually opposed the later closing.

“Most Victorians therefore decided —mistakenly, perhaps, that the U.L.V.A.’s campaign objective was simply increased liquor sales under the same old ‘swill’ conditions.”

The decision of Victorians has been described by the Premier (Mr Henry Bolte) as “the law of the land.”

As far as the Olympic Games were concerned, he said last night, the law for the residents of Victoria is also the law for visitors.

Mr Bolte’s words were in answer to the Olympic Civic Committee, whose chairman (Cr. Maurice Nathan) said the Government would be asked to give special consideration to hotels which offered dining facilities and accommodation for Olympic visitors.