LICENSING COMMISSION

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 October 1945, Page 8

LICENSING COMMISSION

“TRADE” COUNSEL’S ADDRESS WELLINGTON, October 23. Suggestions for the appointment of a central liquor control board were opposed by Mr. H. F. O’Leary, K.C., continuing his final address on behalt of the National Council of the Licensed Trade before the Royal Commission on Licensing to-day. He submitted that such a board was not wanted except by those who loved bureaucracy, or wanted to haihper the trade. The New Zealand Alliance, ■which wanted the board to embarrass the trade, had the hardihood to suggest that no one with any interest in the liquor trade should be eligible for a seat on it. It would be a pretty state of affairs if no one with an interest in the meat or dairy industries could have a seat on the Meat Board or the Dairy Board. The Alliance did not want to get rid of licensing cpmmittees, and therefore sought to justify the setting up of a new board by creating work for it, suggesting that it should overhaul leases and look into the question of goodwills. That, said Mr. O’Leary, was quite unneclessary, and was intended merely to harass the licensed trade. Some anti-liquor witnesses had suggested that provision should be made for the endorsement of licenses for all offences against the liquor laws. That, submitted Mr. O’Leary, was unnecessary, and was going too far. At present an endorsement could be ordered for'any offence, but the I Courts, as was right, had power to exercise discretion, and deal with each case on its merits. The existing provisions for endorsement were drastic and effective. The Alliance’s suggestions for the “padlocking” of hotels would mean punishing local residents for no offence of theirs. Referring to allegations of the use .of beer dregs, Mr. O’Leary said reputable licensees throughout the Dominion were indignant at the thought, and would welcome any regulation or legislation that would eliminate the ncssibility of such a thing happening ri, indeed, it had happened. He read a resolution, to that effect which had been adopted by the emergency com’rnitteG of the National Council in Wellington. The commission, he suggested, might well consider recommending some such regulation without necessarily coming to any conclusion as to whether or not the practice had actually been carried on at certain hotels. The trade believed that there was a ■need for a redistribution of licenses, but that if that were done the number of existing licenses was sufficient for present-day requirements.