MINERS AND HOTELS

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 July 1945, Page 2

MINERS AND HOTELS

SUNDAY OPENING URGED MR. ENGLISH’S EVIDENCE CHRISTCHURCH, July 25. Sunday opening of hotels, in the mornings and evenings, and opening in the evening on week days, recommended by the Buller miners and the Runanga State miners to the Royal Commission on Licensing in Christchurch, to-day, was the first proposal of its kind received since the commission began its hearings. The view that industrial trouble would be experienced unless hours were altered on the West Coast was expressed by Mr. George Edward English, President of the Runanga State Miners’ Union and the Returned Services’ Association. He said, the miners were not prepared to abide by a three-fifths majority vote of the electors. On the chairman of the commission (Mr. Justice Smith) raising the question of the democratic attitude of the miners, Mr. English said the miners would be. asked to consider abiding by a referendum, and also to consider alternatives such as canteens or a card system to enable miners and other classes of industrial workers to obtain a drink when hotels were normally closed. The hours of sale recommended by the Miners’ Unions were first submitted by Mr. English. They were:— Buller.—From 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on week-days, and until 11 p.m. on Saturdays, with an intermission from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Runanga State Miners. —9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, and Sunday hours as suggested by" Buller. Both unions asked for the abolition of the 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. closing on Saturdays. Imperial measures should be served, and charged for accordingly, in public bars. Mr. English said that if a man wanted a pint he should be able to order it and get it. When a man came hot and dusty from the coal mines, he wanted a man-sized drink. In the miners’ opinion, a lOoz glass was not up to standard, and a price should be fixed for the imperial pint. “The miners consider it was unfair to take action to reduce the strength of the beer without consulting them,” said Mr. English, submitting a proposal for the restoration of beer to pre-war strength. “The milkman would get into trouble if he reduced the quality of milk without consulting his customers.” Mr. J. D. Willis (counsel for the Crown): You understand the reasons behind the change—the conservation of sugar and so on? Mr, English: That was the reason given; but the miners cannot appreciate the fact that they were not consulted. It was forced on them. Asked by Mr. F. C. Spratt (counsel for the New Zealand Alliance) if he knew that the reauest for Sunday ouening was the first to be made to the commission, Mr. English said it might be, but it was sound. When Sunday closing was introduced m Scotland and Wales it became a domestic curse. Men took drink home, and women who had not before tasted drink were introduced to it and children were reared in an atmosnhere of drink “If a man wants a drink on Sunday, he is going to get it,” he added. “My personal opinion is that a man is ciuite justified in going to a proper place to have his drink- —and the home is not the place for it. Was there lack of unanimity on the Question of Sunday opening among the- unions? —I was not present at the Buller meetings, and received my instructions from the secretary; but at my own meeting the request was carried unanimously. CABINET APPROACHED. To Mr. H. F. O’Leary, K.C. ‘counsel for the Trade) Mr. English said he represented more than. 1200 nrineis. One-third of the Runanga and cooperative miners lived in Greymouth they left Greymouth at 6.50 a.m. and returned at 5.20 p.m. Miners Le t very strongly on the question ol houis. I understand that two years ago you went to the War Cabinet on the subject of -Saturday hours? — rne objection was to asking men to go back on back Saturdays and produce coal, and then close the hotels and leave them to dawdle round until u hotels opened in the afternoon, sitt ng on verandas like fowls waiting at the ’rm <mte. Some of them refused to work back Saturdays if they could not ° e Mr e< English said some pf the who caught the train at Greymou h cycled in from tne countiy, and d m hnvo lime to have a reasonable equally Srong on the strength of beer? — M e r fin G e w. Hutchison (a member of the commission): Was any considertibn given to, the. of ?s Ot -ene V rally 'recognied that ’a hotel p h e« Ub K he £ lie do The longer hours will mean an OTirlap, but'that could be easily arranged with a 40-hour week. If the hotels were opened on Sundays the hotel worker unionists wculd have to be paid treble time. If the?/ had it in their awards Would the miners be entitled to nay extra for that?—Don t you. think miners pay enough for their drinking tO I d £rm asking you the question.—The best thing would be to leave it to the point of agreement between the licensee and the worker. If the licensee wanted extra it would be up to the customer to say whether he W Are ] there r mT'staff difficulties in hotels over there?—l cannot say. You have to have somebody working about a hotel at week-ends. It is'like the dairy farmer. WOMEN’S OPINION.

“1 know something of waiting for a husband coming home at 10 and 11, said Mrs. B. E. Logie (a member of the commission). “Have you asked the women’s views on the extension of hours?” „ Mr. English:' Quite a few. The women in my district would prefer the hours to be extended till 10 and 11, and that if their husbands wanted to go for a quiet glass of beer after a rifle shoot, a euchre tournament, or a union meeting they could go and have it without the danger of paying a £2/10/- fine. Mrs. Logie: Can you say whether these women had any previous experience of 10 or 11 closing?—Yes. And they are quite willing?—Yes, madam. Six o’clock closing notwithstanding, the men, if they want a drink, go and have it. I do so myself, and I am quite candid about it. “I am a bit concerned about extending hours from my own experience,” explained Mrs. Logie. ' Mr. English: Some women don’t like a man going to a hotel. With some men, they have to stop drinking or bar their wives. (Laughter). To Mr. J. P. Rath (a member of the commission), Mr. English said the miners did not want an imperial pint at the present price for a glass; they wanted the price fixed by the Price Investigation Tribunal. On the Coast a lOoz glass was served i'or fid; but those who obtained a 12oz handle for 7d were a little better off. When the chairman (Mr. Justice Smith) raised the question of reports of the prevalence of after-hour Trading on the West Coast, Mr. English

said he just went along. A . man could find ways of getting a drink it he wanted one.

The chairman: I suppose you realise there are 'other residents on the Coast who hold different views? — Yes. To what extent are the miners prepared to abide by a vote of the people of Westland on the question of hours? —I am committed to no suggestion. Supposing the result of a referendum did not agree with what you say here, would the miners be prepared to abide by the vote of the people?—l would say definitely no. I think there would be a great deal ol industrial trouble unless there is some alteration in the hours, for we say no member of the community has a right to impose his will on another. If a man is a teetotaller he has no right to tell me I shall not take a drink. I don’t impose my will on other people, so long as I don t get drunk and commit crime. Then, you say that the miners should be allowed to impose thenwill on the people who want hotels closed at 6?—No,- sir. The miners want to open them for their convenience, not for the inconvenience of those who do not patronise hotels. ■ INDUSTRIAL TROUBLE.

Your view is that unless the miners get what they want with regard to the question of hours there is a likelihood of industrial trouble? — I am not using that expression as a threat, but that would be my interpretation of the situation. I know the attitude of the miners—l live with them and have my beer with them. There has been general discontent since the introduction of 6 o’clock closing, which has only made for law-breaking. I have broken the law hundreds ol times myself. “I do know that the situation on the West Coast in regard to hours is very troublesome,” said Mr. Justice Smith, “but I do want to know how the miners would abide by a democratic vote of the people of the West Coast itself, not of the whole of New Zealand. You still tell me that if the result was not in accordance with the miners’ views there would be industrial trouble?” “Yes, I am afraid so,” replied Mr. English, who, replying to a question said the miners represented 50 per cent, of the West Coast population.

His Honor: Supposing power were given to some authority to declare that a wet canteen could be established by certain workers in certain industries, to be run like a soldiers’ canteen for a specified period and under supervision, would you think that might be a solution to the miners’ troubles?

Mr. English: I have not considered that; but my own opinion would be that it would be very undesirable, because drink and work do not go hand in hand. Taking a glass is a social habit, and drink has no place on a job. “Then the miners themselves, holding these very strong views, have not considered ways in which they could get drink although the community at large was under a different system,” continued his Honor. “You want the legislation for the whole community so that you can get a drink in the w.ay you want? Have you considered any alternative? Do you think the miners could consider a situation in which they, timber workers, and other industries could get a drink on production of a ticket or card at times when other people could not?”

Mr. English: You would have a favoured working class then. I don’t see why the miner should get a glass of beer when others are denied it. It is a community question, not a class question. What about business men? I could not ask conscientiously for favours for miners. His Honor: Not favours.

“Discriminations then, to the point of favouritism,” replied Mr. English, When the chairman ”sug§ested that it would be undemocratic for the miners to oppose the will of threefifths of the people if they voted against Sunday opening, Mr. English maintained that the miners would be right if they went on strike, on the grounds that teetotallers had no right to force their will on others. ■The chairman: Then you arc denying the teetotaller the right to vote? —No. I am not hog-tieing the teetotaller to drink.

“I would like you to think over the question and put it to your miners,” concluded the chairman. “Say three-fifths of the people of the West Coast were opposed to Sunday opening, would you be prepared to abide by the decision of the majority vote? If you think it would be undemocratic not to abide by the decision of the majority, is there any other way in which miners could get a drink without flouting the views of a threefifths majority of the people?” Mr. English: I will certainly take any recommendation back from the commission. “I am only inquiring—I am not expressing anv views myself,” explained the chairman. SAWMILLER’S ALLEGATIONS Every hotel on the West Coast was a bookmaker’s agent on race days, and all licensees had police spotters stationed at their doors on late shopping nights so as to invite the public in to drink in reasonable safety, said Harold Robinson, a sawmill worker, Gladstone. He suggested that all license-holders be bona fide owners to prevent skyrocketing of overhead costs, and that the licensees should pay the fines of all caught after hours on premises. Industrial workers were not the worst offenders after hours. He alleged that at Paroa the police had closed dances for school funds two years ago because of drinking by patrons before and after the dance instead of carrying out the law. “When a hall was opened at Kumara Junction, an agreement was made to let the dancers have a fair go at the hotel till 11 o’clock, but that did not suit the young people,” said Mr Robinson. “They waited for the constable and lobbed' him behind the ear with a bottle and put him out for two or three weeks. Thereafter he took a different attitude, and he stayed at the door all the time.”