“Verbal Nonsense” Of Licensing Laws

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29901, 15 August 1962, Page 14

“Verbal Nonsense” Of Licensing Laws

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 14. “The thicket of verbal nonsense which enshrouds the licensing code has been condemned ‘bell, book and candle’ by everyone who has any part in administering the law and by those who are subject to it,” says the annual report of the Licensing Control Commission, tabled in the House of Representatives today by the Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan).

"We are delighted to learn that the Government has a fixed intention to bring before Pa-liament a revised and consolidated bill enshrining the whole licensing law in one text between two covers, the commission said. We profoundly hope that nothing will hinder the consummation of this plan,” the report says.

The report says that the absurdity of the licensing code had been impressed bn the commission this year more than ever. “We have come to the view ' on almost any matter that comes before us any lawyer who takes the time and trouble to research the law is bound to find some legal point which he can seek to take in order to frustrate the operation of good sense and equity.

“The commission asks no more than the law may be so stated that any person with an ordinary standard of comprehension may know what are his rights . and duties. As to its own part in the administration of the licensing laws, the commission wants no more than that it may understand what the legislature means and that it may be saved from vagueness and ambiguity. We hope that we may have the law on a quite important subject in plain words.” says the report Committees Welcomed

Discussing last year’s amendment, the commission welcomes the new licensing committees presided over by a magistrate and whose members were chosen by local bodies.

“The portents are that committees, will have a much more active, independent and interested membership and certainly they will have a much better defined responsibility to tiheir community,” it says. The bane of the commission,” says the report, had been licensed premises that had avoided or evaded their legal responsibility to provide accommodation and which had confined their business to the sale of liquor “They have been pointed out as the failure of commission control, which indeed they are. But in most cases it would be neither sensible I nor practicable to insist on

them setting up as lodging places. They* would not be fitted tor the purpose and- if they were, no-one would live in them,” the report says. “In short, they are not required except to provide bar space for the surge 'of drinkers between 4.30 and 6 p.m. and on Saturday,” says the report. “The pity of it ir that some of them cannot be closed dotyn, except at great expense in compensation or removed to other places in which people live and work. 60 Minutes Or Less “But in the law and the facts of life most people who wish to drink in licensed premises after working hours have 60 minutes or less in the day to assuage their needs. That is the reason for much cf the harm that is done by drinking alcoholic liquor in this country and for our shameful reputation throughout the world. “The new law will enable the commission as the years pass to classify licences and such are found to be not required or not suitable for accommodation to take out tavern licences and to provide acceptable conditions for their customers. The commission has not readied the stage of thinking about the genera) requirements which will be prescribed. It is quite obvious, however, that each licensed house will have to be considered in its own circumstances.” it says.

“It can be expected, however, that much better conditions than now exist in many drinking houses will be requested. Provision must be made to seat a goodly proportion of the normal volume of customers and for a number of different rooms, if the scope of the , premises allow, to which different categories of persons may resort,” says the report. The commission considers that there is a negligible number of localities in which people could show they could not get wholesale supplies of liquor under reasonable conditions.

Fast Trip.— The Aramoana made a rapid trip to Picton yesterday, taking only, three hours and a quarter. Locomotives were again loaded, and the vessel also, took 15 cars.— i'P.A.)