Liquor in Clubs

Hutt News, Volume 19, Issue 14, 5 September 1945, Page 5

Liquor in Clubs

EXTENDED HOURS WANTED HUTT AND PETONE EVIDENCE The tlisire of clubs, both chartered and unchartered, for alterations to thQ present regulations governing the sale of alcoholic liquor by these institutions was expressed by a number of clubmen and club officers before the Royal Commission on licensing on Thursday and Friday last. On behalf of the recently formed Hutt Club (Inc.) Mr. Francis H. Greenaway, secretary, said the Hutt Club sought legal authority to sell alcoholic beverages to its members for any 12 hours between 10 a.m. and midnight, with the additional privilege of keeping the bar open untl 2 a.m. on special occasions, say, 6 times in any one year. Mr Greenaway stated that the hours asked for would be regarded as experimental and it did not necessarily follow that, they would be used to the full extent. It might be found desirable to keep the bar open for only 10 or even 8 hours a day. Similarly, the 2 am. extension might only be availed of for less than the 6 nights for which authority was sought. The Hutt Club, said Mr. Greenaway, is in, probably, a unique position in so far as it is located in a city less than ten miles from a major city where many of its members spend their working hours, ilnis means that a large proportion of members will desire to come to the Club in the evenings after they have been to their homes for a meal. It is not possible for them to use clubs in Wellington to the extent they would wish, and the provision of a charter in this Club would be' of great benefit to them. Many industrial undertakings and firms have branches both in Wellington and the Hutt and this tendancy is growing. The members who both live and work in the Hutt Valley wish to be able to entertain business men and friends from other centres and Hutt City lacks any other suitable place where this can be done. There are no. hotels or other places in Lower Hut 1 where the men, who will frequent the Club,-are able to drink in similar comfort.. It is the wish of the executive committee that limited accommodation be provided for visiting guests. This is particularly important because all the four hotels are over 7 0 years old and are quite out of date. The fact that there are only four hotels in the city area is one of the reasons why better service is not provided in them. Trading hours other than 10 a.m. to 12 midnight would not give our management committee full scope to provide the best for our members, at the same time maintaining tne highest standard in the club's activities. The principle of extending the hours of liquor sales in clubs until 10 p.m. was supported by Mr. James Mills, secretary-manager of the Petone Workingmen's Club. This club said Mr. Mills, had a membership of 1675, about half of whom were Lower Hutt residents. The membership had been closed for the past 18 months. The - financial stability of the Club depended upon its bar trade. Beer was sold in three sizes at three different prices, i.e., 12 oz handles 7d; 9oz. handles sd; and 5 oz. handles 3d. These prices yielded a substantial profit and no difficulty had been experienced in obtaining replacements of these sized glasses. The Club employed 9 permanent and 5 relieving bar stewards.

The different prices charged for beer' had caused no trouble as regards charge. The witness would not compare clubs with hotels. Mr. D. A. Ewen, president of the Wellington Club, stated that until the year 1917 when 6 o'clock closing was introduced, the Club had been very active in the evenings but nowadays, except when a billiards tournament was in progress, the club appeared to be "dead" after 6 o'clock.