WOMEN AND DRINK.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 August 1925, Page 10

WOMEN AND DRINK.

SOCIAL WORKER’S CHARLIE. “In the course of one hour, approxi mutely 400 women d.ink daily in the 48 hotels of C/hristcuiircli, ■’ said Sister Annie To-ker, in an address to the Social Hvg.ene Society at Christchurch. ■‘That means there are 1600_ women .etwee ll the ages of 19 and 4o years, iiiiuving e\e.y afternoon. These- are die women who have the bearing of the (hidien.

“At dances,” continued the speaker. Cn. ng men gi.e girls liquor; they lose their balance and then the men take advantage of them. 'Chat there is a lot of drinking by young men and women in other places also is borne oat by nil inspection of the park or river banks, where plenty of evidence is to l*e found. The lesuLt is seen day a-.ter dav in the Courts, and these .-uses ar e the bursting of the bubble on to >, showing what is happening underneath.

“The municipal authorities should 'aa .e proper super, ision over the rec cation of the young people at the dance hals.” It was not fair, said the- s .eaker, that the girls should a!wa.s have to pay the price of publicity as a result of immoral acts. It was not fair that the girls should aa.e to stand before the magistrates and be publicly dealt with. They should take tie stand that th© man sho Id le gi.en the same treatment. ' A LICENSEE’S REPLY.

“All I can say is that Sister looker’s imagination has run wild with her.” said Mr A. Rose, president of the Canterbury Licensed Victuallers’ Association. when the statement made by Sister Tocker wore leferred to him. “In the first place.” he said, “I do net think there would lye 1600 women served in all the bote’s in Christchurch in a week. As far as 1 know there are very few hotels that cater for women nt all. not because they think that "women should not have a drink, but simply because they have not the accommodation. I maintain a woman has as much right to obtain liquid refreshment as a man, but when Sister Tocker ta ks about immorality among women, inferring it is caused through having liquid refreshments, she i« casting a slur on the womenfolk of New Zealand, and no decent man or woman could possil) y countenance remarks of such n description.”