Sit-Down Drinking Favoured

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30367, 17 February 1964, Page 10

Sit-Down Drinking Favoured

(N.Z. Pres* Association) WELLINGTON, February 16. The Licensing Control Commission does Bot accept that most few Zealanders prefer to dripk standing, if intends to influence a change which will enable a reasonable proportion of drinking customers to be seated and considers this its duty. Ip findings released on the three-day licensing review of the Shannon to Paefcakariki earlier this month, the ryyhmission strongly favoured sitdown drinking. The commission comprises Mr S. T. Barnett (chairman), Major-General Sir William

Gentry and Mir N. Butcher. “A dear duty is imposed by the statute to encourage and impel hotel-owners to provide better conditions under which liquor is sold for consumption on the premises. “On the one hand, the legislature has spoken of •cotnforfable’ condtioas; on the other, that drinking is not to be ‘stimulated.’ so that a nice balance has to be drawn,* it said. "The old conception that it was sufficient to provide a counter on which some could lean and floor space on which the remainder could stand is no longer accepted by some owners. “However, apart from those hotels which have simply done nothing to improve the squalid conditions under which they trade, there remams the considerable group of owners who have made changes for the belter and

feel complacent about what they have done. “The essential policy of current change is that whereas formerly few who could find space could lean on the bar and the rest just stood —or leaned on bis neighbour —now more may lean arid fewer just stand. “This is regarded by some net merely as'a marked'improvement but as a state of perfection. “Indeed, the chief police witness at the Levin' sittings took the line that standing is the ideal posture for the drinker and that was the way most preferred to take their liquor,” said the findings “From this curious opinion the commission differs. "We allow that most New Zealanders are habituated to {WPjPfrg other way for the general Pltolfc and many kpow no

“When the police were questioned at the review about ‘overcrowding’ of bars, it seemqd that the test they applied was whether patrons could move with some free-dom—-or not move at all "What we ask hotel owners fo understand is that oomfort is not provided by setting up leaningpasts op freeing access “If an owner is fortunate enough to be attracting persons to has premises the commission will not acquiesce in a policy of merely packing them in. “Seating for a reasonable proportion and breathing space and elbow room for the rest m ust be available. ,‘,7* that cannot be done within the comfineg of the PtWerty, then it is the comwethink, to tovercmetme etee the opportunity fo provide the ffoorspace,” the anunWvi said