LIQUOR & TREATING

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 May 1928, Page 9

LIQUOR & TREATING

SOUTH AFRICAN CUSTOMS. The question of introducing a notreating clause into the new Liquor Bill has been warmly debated in the South African House of Assembly. The Minister of Justice had originally emitted the clause, but Dr. van der Merwe, on behalf of Dr. H. Reitz, reintroduced it. Dr. van der Merwe argued that the “treating” custom was bad and led to excessive drinking. The “stupid practice,” as he described it, originated, he said, in England, and chiefly prevailed there, though the Johannesburg Star denies this and says that it originated and chiefly prevails in South Africa and Australia. “Many an Englishman coming from overseas,” says the journal quoted, “has at first been considered ‘standoffish’ and inhospitable because he has ordered a drink for himself alone and has not considered it obligatory to have several drinks when he desires only one. We imagine that there is much less abuse of the treating habit now than formerly, and in any case this is a matter which cannot effectively be dealt with by law. One might just as well define by statute the number of drinks anyone is permitted to take ou any given occasion.” The feeling of the House was found to be overwhelmingly against the clause, and Dr van der Merwe’s amendment was rejected by 50 votes to 21. There was a long debate also on the clause in the bill which prohibits the employment of women in bars. These restrictions are already in operation in the Transvaal. Sir David Harris moved an amendment that women should not be debarred from serving anywhere on licensed premises and Mr. Leslie Blackwell sought to make it illegal for women to serve in bars unless they were partners in the business to the extent of at least one-quarter. Both these amendments were defeated and the Minister’s proposals agreed to, with an amendment by Mr. Duncan making it clear that women could be employed in other parts of a hotel. The clause prohibiting Asiatic labour —a matter which for a time aroused a great deal of feeling among the Indians in South Africa, thousands of whom are employed as waiters and barmen—vyas voted out of the bill at the Minister’s request. This happy termination of what seemed likely to develop into a serious clash of opinion can be traced almost directly to the tactful intervention of Air. Sastri, the Agent-General for India.