Mr Mason Asks The House To Support Mr Hanan’s Bill

Press, Volume C, Issue 29684, 30 November 1961, Page 18

Mr Mason Asks The House To Support Mr Hanan’s Bill

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Nov. 29. The Licensing Amendment Bill made a substantial measure of reform in the licensing laws, said the former Labour Attorney - General (Mr Mason), in the House of Representatives tonight. Mr Mason was the principal Opposition speaker tonight in the second reading debate on the bill. The existing law was quite unsuited to the habits of the people, said Mr Mason. “This will remove anomalies and generally give satisfaction.” Licensing laws in New Zealand had traditionally been a matter that cut across party politics, but, in the public interest, members should get away from party attitudes and help the Minister (Mr Hanan) as much as they could, said Mr Mason. If the bill did not go through, the possibility of anyone else taking it up again soon was remote. “Consequently we should take as favourable a view as we can on what the Minister is trying to do.” The sale of liquor had always been associated with the accommodation trade, he said, "and that is a tradition we don’t want to see come to an end.” Travelling round New Zealand One could see the importance of this in the standard of accommodation that the combined trade assured. The question of the decontrol of licensing could not be ignored, said Mr Mason.

It was astonishing New Zealand still had control, but it had been made very clear at the House committee hearings on the bill that control had a steady bearing on the standard of accommodation. Mr Mason said it was suggested by the licensed trade that the provisions for inspectors indicated State control. “That was quite unfair.” Generally, the standard of hotels was high, but there were cases where there was none to raise the standard. “All that will be required will be a reasonable standard.” In New South Wales, inspectors had the confidence of the licensed trade, said Mr Mason and he saw no reason why a similar situation should not obtain in New Zealand. “Unreal Laws” Mr C. G. E. Harker (Government, Hawke’s Bay), chairman of the Statutes Revision Committee which studied the bill after its introduction, said the committee’s objecive was to improve the licensing laws of New Zealand—“to improve laws which bear the stigma of having become totally unreal In no part of the world are the licensing laws so archaic as those in New Zealand,” he said. Today, as in the past, many evils sprang from excessive drinking, said Mr Harker. It caused broken homes, led to crimes of violence and many motoring accidents.

Encouraging leisurely, social drinking for friendly companionship, would reduce the volume of drinking, he said. The man who drove his car after drinking a reasonable quantity of liquor leisurely in a friendly atmosphere was far less a danger than the driver who drank under conditions “which are a social blot on our country.” Mr J. Mathison (Opposition, Avon) said: “I am completely opposed to the taverns, and the Government is making a great mistake in imposing the percentage levy. It won’t achieve its purpose in providing accommodation.” Mr Mathison said that if the commission had worked as efficiently as it should have, there would not be the de facto taverns there were. “For every tavern licence granted there will be a loss of accommodation for six people,” said Mr Mathison. “If price control is removed there will be no need for the levy." Mr Mathison said the trade would support the elimination of the “de facto beerhouses in the back streets” and there would be less competition for the hotels that provided good accommodation.