Changes Sought In Liquor Laws

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31894, 23 January 1969, Page 1

Changes Sought In Liquor Laws

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON,

Jan. 22. Representatives from two organisations connected with the sale of liquor met the Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan) today to seek a change in the liquor laws.

Mr Hanan assured both deputations—one from the Hotel Workers’ Union and the other from the Restaurant Proprietors’ Association—that the Government would give careful consideration to their proposals. The four-man hotel workers deputation, led by the union's secretary, Mr G. Armstrong, submitted that a more severe penalty should be imI posed on under-age drinkers.

They also suggested that the law should be amended to eliminate a barman’s responsibility in cases of underage prosecutions except I where a barman was grossly I negligent and deliberately served an under-age person. The hotel workers’ fourpage submissions dealt with the problems of policing under-age drinking in licensed premises. They claim that this problem has been aggravated by 10 p.m. closing and the increasing number of assaults on barmen. The submissions from the restaurant proprietors, according to Mr Hanan, dealt with trading hours and conditions in licensed restaurants. Recent Debate

Any change of trading hours would require legislative action, Mr Hanan advised the association. The barmen in their subclaimed that recent debate on the possibility of lowering the legal drinking age would not make a barman’s job much easier.

“It is just as difficult to distinguish a 19-year-old from a 20-year-old as a 20-year-old from a 21-year-old. “We suggest that a more severe penalty be imposed on the person who commits an offence—the person who enters the hotel for the purpose of purchasing liquor knowing full well that he or she is breaking the law. “Also the person who deliberately and knowingly supplies a minor with liquor in a bar,” said the submissions. Maximum Fine

The present penalty for under-age drinking is a maximum fine of $2O. The hotel workers further submitted that consideration be given to the suggestion that on conviction of an offence of assisting a minor to obtain liquor, the person; concerned might also be prohibited from entering licensed premises for a specific 1 period of time. “We would suggest con-; sideration be given to the in-1 traduction of a system that’

when challenging a person as to his or her age, the barman could require the person to sign a declaration stating the person’s name, address [and age.” I This system which, according to the barmen, is used in some states in Australia and the United States, would take the responsibility from the barman and put it on the person entering the hotel. Hotel Inspectors “Furthermore, a system of special hotel inspectors could be instituted, their duty being to police the licensing laws and to make regular inspections of bars. “This would parallel such officers as traffic, customs, excise, inland revenue, factory and sales tax inspectors.” Because of the increasing number of assaults against barmen, the union submitted that the law should be strengthened to prohibit an offender from entering licensed premises for a period, similar to the conditions on a prohibition order.