Hotel Patrons “Sit In” Until 10 O’clock

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31499, 13 October 1967, Page 1

Hotel Patrons “Sit In” Until 10 O’clock

While disgruntled customers were “sitting in” at the Prince of Wales Hotel after 7 p.m. yesterday, the Imperial Hotel, half a mile down the street, was jammed with more than 200 customers who had found that it was probably the only hotel open in the city.

Those “sitting in” at the Prince of Wales said they were protesting at “childishness” both by the hotel licensees and by the barmen, and a spokesman claimed that they were entitled, by law, to be on hotel premises and to buy drinks until 10 p.m.

“I’m the only publican in Christchurch who is observing the law,” said the licensee of the Imperial (Mr W. Davie), shouting to make himself heard above the din shortly after 9 p.m.

Mr Davie said that his bar service was provided by relatives. Cars were still arriving at the Imperial less than an hour before the official closing time, and customers, crowded out of the bars, stood in the passages. The festivity at the Imperial contrasted with the earnest, hushed conversation among the “sit-ins” at the

Prince of Wales. Sixteen of them, in the private bar, nursed the remains of jugs of beer bought before 7 p.m., and all said that they would stay till 10.15 p.m. The licensee of the Prince of Wales is Mr A. F. G. McGregor, president of the Canterbury Hotel Association, which has told its members to stop serving liquor at 7 p.m.

“Childish Attitude”

“We are doing this in protest at the childish attitude adopted both by the licensees and the barmen,” said Mr A. Holmes, who acted as spokesman for the group. “There is nothing personal in this against Arthi r McGregor or the barmen. We voted for 10 p.m. closing, and we feel we should not be prevented from enjoying our legal rights.

“This ‘sit-in’ is a natural development from our feeling of disappointment that the public were being deprived of the passing of the 10 o’clock closing.” Mr Holmes said he hoped that 100 patrons would “sit in” if the 7 o’clock rule applied today. One of the party borrowed a reporter’s pencil and pad, and wrote out a statement which, he said, he was going to submit to the police as a complaint “If I wanted to leave here now, could I get back in?” he asked. “No. The door is locked, and I anrtot free to come and go before 10 p.m.” Mr McGregor said it was true that if anybody left he would not be able to return to the hotel. Rule Defended Mr E. H. Williams, the Canterbury Hotel Association’s executive officer, defended the 7 p.m. closing rule. It applied, he said, to all hotels, from those that had a big house trade to the country hotel run by a licensee and his wife. “Take Rangiora,” said Mr Williams. “If the Rangiora hotels all closed, and the Ashley and Sefton hotels remained open, there could be an influx that would be far beyond the capacity of a licensee and his family to cope with.” He mentioned the Hotel Russley and Shirley Lodge, with from 150 to more than 200 house guests, which could not be opened to the public with no staff but the managers and their wives. At the Lancaster Park Hotel, where about 150 persons were in the public bars’ at 6.30 p.m., an exodus started before 7 o’clock, and when the beer went off sharp at 7 o’clock, about 60 patrons carried on with jugs. Many left the hotel carrying halfgallon jars of beer. Eight regulars at the Gladstone Hotel last evening set out to establish their drinking rights. Mr S. Jamieson, spokesman for the group, said that after reading yesterday’s

papers they had decided to buy two dozen bottles of beer before 7 p.m.—“sit in” in the bar, and get thrown out. “However, we were disappointed. We did not get thrown out. The whole thing has developed into an amicable demonstration,” said Mr Jamieson. The licensee (Mr N. R. Kellaway) said that all members of the group were regulars and had bought their beer before 7 p.m. Apart from the small group, most of the hotel’s patrons had left quietly at 7 p.m Their cooperation had surprised him.

“This group did not annoy me particularly, though of course I have to stay in the bar with them. I’d sooner be able to go out.” Country Hotels At least 17 country hotels between Hanmer Springs and Rakaia continued to serve customers till 10 p.m. yesterday. Only three of 20 hotels telephoned closed their bars at 7 p.m. Those which stayed open were the Methven and Canterbury hotels at Methven, the South Rakaia and Railway hotels at Rakaia, and the Chertsey, Cheviot, Cust, Waiau, Culverden, Hawarden, West Melton, Springfield,- Kirwee, Hororata, Coalgate, and Crown (Duvauchelle) hotels. None of the licensees employs labour after 7 p.m.

The licensee of the Darfleld Hotel (Mr D. P. Edmonds) said that he and six other proprietors in the district were staying open until 10 p.m. “out of deference to the community they serve.” The proprietress of the Cust Hotel (Mrs R. M. Dew) said that local residents arrived at her hotel after tea on Wednesday night. “They were completely unaware that we had been asked to close. They wanted drinks, saying that’s what they had voted for, so I served them,” she said.