Women’s Views Vary On Licensing Hours

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31480, 21 September 1967, Page 2

Women’s Views Vary On Licensing Hours

Men may do most of the drinking in New Zealand but many women are vitally concerned with the issue of hotel trading hours, which will be decided after Saturday’s referendum. Those consulted yesterday by “The Press” had made up their minds.

As many seemed firmly opposed to 10 p.m. closing as approved a change, and others were certain extended hours would not affect them. . .

Dame Ngaio Marsh, a sponsor of the Campaign for Civilised Drinking, considers women are mistaken who fear that their husbands will necessarily drink more with later closing.

But her view is not shared by wives and mothers with whom Mrs C. B. Truman, social worker for the Society for the Protection of Home and Family deals. “They say they are not looking forward to 10 o’clock closing, and they won’t vote for it,” said Mrs Truman, who has advocated staggered hours for many years. “Excessive drinking is the cause of many of the problems we handle. A man who drinks excessively has no sense of time. Once he is in the hotel he will stay until it closes.”

However, many wives with whom Mrs Truman has discussed the matter say their husbands would drink excessively whatever the licensing hours.

- Mrs H. J. Young, a member of the Prisoners’ Aid and Rehabilitation Society, and an active member of the Howard League for Penal Reform for many years, considers it likely that the “6 o’clock swill” would be replaced by a “10 o’clock swill” if licensing hours were extended. “We have had this bar swill since World War I and I think it would take a radical change of habits to alter this. I feel 10 o’clock closing will not help those drinkers who have no control.”

The anxiety of Major M. Luff, matron of the Salvation Army’s Samaritan Emergency Lodge, at the prospect of 10 p.m. closing stems from her belief that, “We are our brother’s keeper,” and must put the interests of those who have no control over their drinking first. “I think 10 o’clock closing will make life more difficult for those families already troubled by a member's excessive drinking. The more time they have to spend in a hotel the more they will drink and the more money they will spend. We have a responsibility to these people and their families,” she said. “It is different for social drinkers, who have one or two drinks and then go home. But I have seen many cases of cruelty caused by drinking. Families too terrified to stay home with a drunken father are bought here by the police in the evenings, or find their way here on their own. “It will be much worse if they are disturbed in the middle of the night. The wife who now has to wait and worry until 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. would have several added

hours of anxiety if the hotels closed at 10 o’clock.” Miss Luff also considers that later closing would make it “even less safe for women to walk out alone at night.

“New Zealanders don't have a background of controlled drinking, and although the situation is bad i.ow I think 10 o’clock closing will only make it worse.” Women who have travelled overseas are largely in favour of extended drinking hours. Mrs Helen Garrett, convener of the Canterbury Federation of University Women's committee on public affairs, advocates “up-dating” the law. “Six o’clock closing was brought in during the First World War. The Prime Minister said it would continue for the duration of the war with the Germans and for six months after. We are so slow-

moving here we have kept it for 50 years,” she said. A law should follow the customs and habits of the country. The customer had a right to service when he needed it at the hours he wanted.

Answering charges of increased drinking and hardship for families resulting from later closing, Mrs Garrett said: “I don’t think any sociological consequences of drinking are related to the hours of hotel trading. “A change in the “law would produce improved, leisurely drinking conditions. The danger in drinking is to consume quantities quickly, which occurs under our . present law. I am sure the- 6 o’clock swill would not be replaced by one at 10 o’clock. "We must stop making people’s decisions. They have the right to make their own.” Mrs Garrett considers many women should adopt a more relaxed attitude to their husband’s social drinking. Many women did not realise* that

men needed to relax with their friends and discuss the day’s events over a few drinks. This was extremely important and necessary to them.

Men who took drink into the home did more harm, she said.

“The six o’clock swill is one of the disagreeable aspects of our country and makes us the laughing stock of tourists. The present law is not enforced and this is bringing the law Into disrespect." “An alarmist theory” is Mrs Garrett’s opinion of the anxiety being voiced that wives will go out to hotels with their husbands in the evening and leave their children unattended.

“Parents who neglect their children will do so regardless of .our hotel trading hours,” She said.

Until its Dominion conference in Dunedin last year the National Council of Women supported 6 p.m. closing. “This was not reaffirmed at last year’s conference, but this does not mean the council is in favour of 10 o’clock closing. The representatives who voted at the conference had not all been instructed by their branches,” said the Christchurch president (Mrs C. J. Ashley). “I think we Should go into every detail and make up our minds. There is a lot of hysteria on both sides. We must remember this is not a vote for prohibition.”