Presbytery advocates liquor education

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33383, 15 November 1973, Page 7

Presbytery advocates liquor education

A wide-spread education programme to show the dangers in alcoholic beverages was advocated by the Rev. J. S. Strang in submissions to the Royal Commission on Liquor yesterday.

Such a programme, similar to the one against smoking, should make clear the peril of alcoholism, said Mr Strang, who was appearing for the Presbytery of Christchurch. The commission, in its second day of hearings, heard submissions on behalf of the Presbytery, the Town Hall management committee, and individuals seeking a range of alterations to the law—from allowing users of the Town Hall auditorium to patronise the bar at the James Hay Theatre, to advocating Ute nationalisation of liquor manufacture, and a ban on liquor advertising. The object of the commission is to prepare a report to enable the enactment of liquor laws “in harmony with the present social and cultural needs of the community.” Its sitting in Christchurch will end on Friday. Mr Strang’s submissions were directed to “the desirability of discouraging the abuse of liquor while facilitating its temperate use by persons who wish to consume it/’ under the commission’s terms of reference. SOCIAL DISCIPLINE “Social attitudes, self-dis-cipline and social discipline, have not kept pace with liberalisation of the law,” said Mr Strang.

He took issue with submissions made earlier by the Justice Department which called for a “far-reaching liberalisation of the drinking laws to ‘deglamorise’ alcohol,” and sought to have the law give a lead to show that the consumption of liquor “is a minor but normal amenity of home and social life.” “We submit that it is not accurate to say that the drinking of liquor is quite normal and desirable,” said Mr Strang. “This infers that people whose personal and social habits do not include drinking are not normal people.” The main purpose of Mr Strang’s submissions was not, he said, to suggest reform of the law', but to call for “greater discipline on the personal and social level” in the consumption of liquor. Some system of national trust control was preferable to the private sale of liquor, he said. Trusts appeared to be better supervised and controlled, end profits accrued went to the community.

To questions, Mr Strang agreed he had stressed the word “appeared” in that submission, and he had concluded they were better supervised and controlled on a “theoretical rather than factual” basis. "COMMUNITY TAVERNS” Addressing themselves to the same point in the commission’s terms of reference were Mr W. Logeman, of the Chippenham Community (a group of 30 who have lived and worked together for the last two years), and the Rev. P. J. Crawford, one of three priests researching “new church ministries.” In long submissions, they sought the development of a “community tavern” where facilities for meetings, lectures, discussions and games would be provided, and “local arts,” such as theatre, music and dance, could be encouraged. The taverns, where the drinking age could be reduced to 18 years and children could accompany their parents up to say, 7 p.m., and greater or fewer hours of trading would be based on “desirability from a social point of view,” would offer “a greater chance of strong personal relationships developing than is possible now in large anonymous city hotels.” REGIONAL COUNCILS The proposals were linked by Father Crawford to schemes a new local government commission will prepare for setting up regional or united councils and community councils which he saw as a step towards overcoming some of the alienation many feel in modern society. “Changes in the liquor laws can only succeed if they help to build a community.” "Future development of new community taverns and

other outlets also makes necessary public control of the manufacturing side of liquour,” the commission was told. To compensate shareholders, the Government could offer them Government bonds. Mr Logeman and Father Crawford also recommended the abolition of all advertising of liquor. Members of the commission are Mr A. A. Coates, S.M., Mr J. Mathison, a former Minister of the Crown, Mrs E. J. Harper, a married woman, and Mrs M. R. Nolan, a widow.