LICENSING INQUIRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 84, 8 March 1945, Page 3

LICENSING INQUIRY

CONTROL OF LIQUOR TRADE. ANALYST'S - EVIDENCE. (Press Assii.) WELLINGTON, Mar. 7. In the judgment of the Prisons | Board, in one-third of the cases of serious crime in the Dominion the person convicted was addicted to drink to a degree affecting his behaviour and sense of .responsibility, said the Under-Secretary of Justice (Mr 13. L. Da'ilard) in his memorandum submitted to the Licensing Commission. Whether or not the remedy lay in a modification of the licensing laws, through education and the improvement of social habits and ideals, was a matter for the Commission. During the last 10 years 407 people, including 39 females, had been committed to inebriates' institutions. Successive Governments had manifested some wariness and reserve in I effecting radical changes in the licensing laws because of tne political implii cations which arose from the widely ! divergent public views held in relation ! to 'licensing matters. There had develI oped over the course of years an influential group who had acquired a lucra{tive vested interest ni the licensing trade and who naturally sought to resist any movement that might inter- ' fere with their profits or impose irksome restrictions. There were two other groups—more socially minded but poles apart in their objective. One addressed itself to the judicious consumption of alcoholic beverages and the other to the abolition of alcohol ,as a constituent.

"There is a growing philosophy," said Mr Dilllard, "tnat the way to control the consumption of alcoholic beverages is not to prohibit but to rationalise. What is wanted is a licensing system that will serve the public demand conveniently without being unduly restrictive and open to the present abuses." "The provisions under the Sales of Food and Drugs Act for the labelling of alcoholic liquors should be strictly enforced," said Mr H. L. Andrew, the first witness te be called before the Commission. As Dominion Analyst and Director of the Dominion Laboratory he submitted a statement on matters connected with the control of the sale of intoxicating liquors arising out of the work of the Dominion Laboratory tor the Police, Justice, Health and Customs Departments. DESCRIPTIONS OF LIQUOR.

For instance, Mr Andrew said, the purchaser should not be led to believe that he was buying liquor with the strength of brandy when the liquor was fortified wine, nor should he be supplied with what was really hop beer while the label indicated it was beer. The question of 'labelling was involved with wine made in New Zealand, where the greatest proportion of alcohol had been derived not from the juice of the grape but from added cane sugar. In some cases not more than one-fourth of the alcohol could have been derived from the grape. Misleading advertising was also governed by the Act, and, if necessary, regulations should be made to prevent distorted and misleadm? statements being published regarding the nutritive and other properties of alcoholic liquors. For example, misleading statements have been published regarding the vitamin content of beer, particularly as to its riboflavin contents. The facts were that it was a relatively poor source of riboflavin when compared with milk. Most of the wine soul as produced in New Zealand had a strength of from 28 to 35 per cent, proof spirits, and this was four to six times the strength of the beer now sold. The production of lighter types of wine should be encouraged, particularly as the grapes grown in New Zealand were of low sugar content. Public opinion was in favour of light wines, but at present the buyer of New Zealand wine had practically no option but to take fortified wine. Young people might well drink such wine thinking it was of the same strength as beer, whereas it was at least four times and probably seven times as great. The sale of medicated wine should he prohibited. Almost without exception those now on the market were sold as containing meat extract and malt extract.