THE "TRADE" PROPOSALS

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 410, 20 January 1909, Page 8

THE "TRADE" PROPOSALS

. THE PROHIBITION VIEW. '' OF ;NO VALUE," ' ' ; , ; tBY TJLEpEIFHT-PeESS ASiIOCIATIOS.J . i '' : : ' j^vAuokiand| V Janii(trr'l9.;. ,;. Mr. Wesley Spragg, the well-known Pro l hibitipn'.advocate, qri being asked what he thought of the-reform-ino.vem'ent to stituted :in the'. Auckland hbtels,-' replied:— . "We have had promises of amendment from the Trade before to-day, and T think; ajways. (as in the present .case)' as the result, of pressure of circumstance's/ .Promises of this kind .do not,realise "iii a , satisfactbjy manner, and .only.:a.few callbiv people pay ariy'attentip'n to them.Y.The present proposals'p'f the .Trade suggest the" proverb; "When the devil'was sick' the 'devil'-'a', saint would he." '.- The first tiyb of them: provide straight away :fpr postponement'of : the promises which'they'contain. . "Barmaids,are riot ,tq:be abolished, but' : are, t-i : be_ allowed :.to 'die biit.-.ii My "own;- expecta-' tion' is' that they Tyill prove. to Be as long-' lived'as ■license- itself unless they are pre-' . yiously' abolished. - by' legal, enaotment. The abolition of the ; .p'riyate;'bar is also . to' t%ke place'at Borne future and'not very well-de-pned time.'; On,;the';face of'them^these ; pro- , posals do' not "appear to -be very'sincere. They.;will.jgener.illy. be regarded , 'as'expedii-, ents for.- tiding over the:' coining Licensing J Committee's elections." : .f' ,? ■■'-,' ; , v 1 When the matter bfthetwe'last-najned proposals 'was referred to,•Mγ.'- Spragg 'said 'that the- 'third', 'proposal' of Trade : ;shojild l^^^aißβ:tho.aßa.Uim■it:at.w_hibE!^duths■ : ,oah ; be.t served "-..with, liquor,',.as ,alsp .'the' proposal to. refuse:: to ■supply- womon-'ivitli 'liquor for ;■ consuinptiqn.jn;hofcl premises,'.had-ho value. A 'base,-- real ■ or : ■ -bogus/' brought'; before 'a .Magistrate's' Cour- complain'ing of a.'- refusal to supply■."■liquor"undp'r."either"• of : these. ; 'c'ir ; - :cumstanoes would-furnish the.' . Trade-'irith "a mandate to act : in accordance;with.,;leg'al;,demands. '■ .He' "was. not 1 ;expectirig or 'even panting ito ; regulate the, T ;Trade,v b'iit if 'he did he.:-should firstJrecbmniertd'it'io conform■ to the'letter and the spirit of 'recent licensing That would invplve-rthe immediate abolition of the v iie'd-houses' and ■ private bars.■•;" 'It would : keep' ; .'youth; r qf iboth, -sexes • under 18 years'of age Jouto'f'barsV'anaVpuld ■prevent'- actualr'dninkerin'esß. , "; '-These "were .matterEl'upon Dominion had-beer/expressed'in'.mqre or less dehnite' legal '.enactments; ,'■ Personally/ -he' would.- also: like; the' barmaid: question -to - be at; once; settled.; in• accdrdahbe .'with , :the-full■ respect'whioh.was:due'tb'women.' : :•'■' . : ■ v " '•

■V: :; .;-;;; : ;;.;,;: : P^E^^pjnpQ^S.;; ;-. "' r; xHv - : MSTAKE;'6f. XIELtuNG' I 'INCH .-, :■'■■ :■,":.■; %'' :;. : by:inch;";:; r:^ -■.•■■•>;:-:. _';.. COll'ni;sp,ONpi[}T.l. '■-, ' '-.-■ ' : {''^r )' • \The ■" Press," - dealing : wi'th'-tlw'new' regulations -decided ■ upoiPHy the Auckland, liquor remarks :^'Thb'ug£;-;the i :p6liqy>;is;;;in the.right'direction'it 'dbe? nofcgo. far'enough;. Concessions'; to■ pu'Blic>bpihipn''are'...fuiile 'if they' are'"made-'.too';late-'br~if-,they.:dp- riot satisfy. : publicdemaridsj ja'nd,- iri'this :case, Sredo':..'noti think -that-; the : . Auckland wine and ■.spirit.- : mtirchantsj and ,-hptelkeepers realise tho.t a. of 'thepublic. (including 'many'; not, prohibitionists)'.will?;be satisfied. with; npfmeasure , of'■ licensing l refbrrii : i that does' include : tHe 'total abolition;of. the- open; it. exists ; tpyay/ Nothing, short.;-,of- : this, qveebelieve,.'-will check-:the. growth:iof 'the; prphibitibri:;stotimen't ; people in r pro-': .hiwtioii;" from- ■voting' '■No-License' '"simply because they- :will. not; be parties to -;the'' pre- , sent.:system.of. selling>;liquor. \::-.'The""trade, , ' as individuals, are making a; great mistake in ■ ;yieldirig'on]y.:inch;:by : .inch'.-tbHhe''desire of the ;community; expressed .so clearly last > Nor vomber;.; They.had far. better •' act boldly ; by eliminating the open bar arid,-abolishirig ; tho' abuses:,resulting from tho.inflated rents : tliat' .have to- be paid, .foriicensed houses. ; By doing so,' they r 'will prove beyond; doubt their' desire.'.-.to , vreform .the. liquor. , , trade, rand -will. draw.: to their, side "the moral and material support;of the great- moderate's party.', , ;.; .-•. .;■

ROOT X>F ' The "Times'-'; declares that ■"the reforms do not .touch ;the root , 6f theHnmble;.: '■ Abarman is liable- to -sell ; drink to a man al-ready'-drunk,;and' it :is..neither. : th'e''ba"rman ; nor .the: barmaid who .keeps -a- lodger premises steadily- drinking until his :; money' is at, an end. '■ The ; trade could be", conducted in ; a:.clean'iashion. : under?the present law ; if the ,'men-engaged:in 'it were .their'methods. VWe welcome the evidence-of.' 'good intentions ;'on 'the , part'"of■ the,.Auckland' .t, r . ad .e.; : .Evidently \ they - recognise that -the liquor, traffic mustibe;free frbm'reproaqh'i'f -it v ■is' to be tolerated '.in.Kew Zealand, aid the punlid;,will watch iclosely. their:-eforts to re-' form it;-:' As"--Mr;,.Myers says,, a.-v^rj'large* _ moderate ': vote- is 'cast' f of. No-License, ".and ■it. wilrcontinue to' ; ;be/casf of alcoholic'liquors -is free from'discreditable features. : ( ■lf:4he;t'rade-in.beer ahd ,v whiskyl can-be made as.clean, as .the trade-in ■ afternpon tea/is.now .tho sting,will'lße'takeircut of ;the. No-License 'movement. ,,, .■' - - ■:■ ■■' "