THE LICENSING POLL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22900, 1 December 1937, Page 17

THE LICENSING POLL

Sir. —The coming year will see again the licensing question submitted to the voto of the people for decision. The present position is somewhat of a stalemate, and the question of future action will soon have to be faced. The whole question is one of the most perplexing problems of our social life. A large portion of the people, rightly or wrongly, take liquor at some time in some form.. Manv are impatient of restrictions and are asking for greater facilities lor obtaining drink at accommodation houses and the more even distribution of existing licences. On the other hand, we have abundant evidence of the widespread and anti-social results of much of this indulgence upon the whole community. The vexed problem of motoring aiid drink confront our magistrates almost daily and is a question of vital importance' to every member of the community, for here, surely, the innocent suffer as well as the guilty. The increased use of liquor at social functions, and its relation to social evils, is another angle of this problem. The of the drys that the narcotic drug alcohol should not bo sold as a beverage has much, to support it, but is rejected by a majority of the people. The question that should unite every good citizen is how -to combat the evils arising from this traffic other than by total prohibition. The vote is taken every three j-ears, no change is made, and little is done to. remedy existing evils until the next poll. Such a'position is purely negative. Something positive is required. I would make the suggestion that at the poll to be taken next year, in place of national prohibition being submitted to voters, the issue "should hotel bars observe a 40-hour week by closing on Saturdays" be substituted. This, of course, would require political _action to make the change, but I believe it would be of great value in gauging the feeling of the people toward greater regulation of the liquor traffic. Statistics show the week-ends to be the danger period of liquor consumption, to which unfortunately the increased leisure of many is no small factor. If such an issue were rejected, then I feel the 'question of abolishing the national issue and reVerting to some form of local option would hare to be considered. REFORMER.'