Bar Locking Provision Postponed For Year

Press, Volume C, Issue 29634, 3 October 1961, Page 14

Bar Locking Provision Postponed For Year

(JMJZ, Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 2. The Government has decided to postpone for a year the provision in last year’s Licensing Amendment Act that hotel bars must be iocked after 6.15 pan. The Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan) announced this tonight. Locking of bars was to have been compulsory from November 1 this year. , Mr Hanan said a Licensing Amendment Bill to be intro* duced this session will postpone the operation of this provision for 12 months.

The compulsory - locking provision did not apply to house bars.

There has been criticism of the provision by many hotel proprietors who claimed it was not possible to build house bars in their hotels. Mr P. Blanchfield (Opposition, Westland), in the House of Representatives earlier this session, said the provision would “create havoc” with the business and social life of the West Coast because mahy hotels there

were not “structurally suitable” to build a house bar .in. Last year’s amendment provided that the only people who could enter bars after they had been locked were the licensee or any employee going into the bar to clean, it, restock it, or collect cash from toe till.

The licensing amendment bill to be introduced this session is also expected to increase the number of restaurant licences, provide for tavern bars and enable employment of barmaids.