LOCAL OPTION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6679, 30 November 1908, Page 5

LOCAL OPTION

REFORMATION OF THE BAR. ; .SOME INNOVATIONS SUGGESTED. DRASTIC PROPOSALS. (Special to the “S.Z. Times.") CHRISTCHURCH, November 29. A correspodndent writes to the papers urging the liquor trade in its own interests w immediately effect reforms as follows ; 1. Allow uo barmaids, not engaged and constantly employed as such previously, to some elate to bo fixed by Act of Parliament, to be engaged or employed in this capacity. 2. Ail barmaids engaged as such previous to tiie above mentioned dale, ana at mat time actively employed in that capacity, to bo required to immediately register their names at tho local Police Court, and to have twelve mouius iff winch to procure other einxiloyment, ac tho expiration, ox which term they must ail cease to act in the capacity of burImtiicU. 1 3. With a view to stop loafing and repeated drinking, all bars to be on the ground floor, to face on to ine pubiui streets, to have plain and clear prate ‘glass front from wall to wall and from uoor to coiling, and no screens or other things to impede or obstruct tho view of persons in tho street. Do not close open bars, but expose them to public view. I. The only entrance to the bar to be from the street, no pipe or _means of passing liquor through the wall or connecting the hotel with the bar to bo aiiowed, and a very severe penalty enforced for any infraction of this rule. 5. All liquor to be watered or broken down as necessary for tho purpose of sale under the supervision of a Customs officer, and each bottle or cask to be duly stamped by him, the said stamp to be defaced by tho person who open* the said bottle or cask, etc. The placing of liquors in a bottle, etc., bearing the labels or brands not belonging to the same to be severely punishable. 6. Whenever it is proved that intoxicating drink has been supplied to a drunken person, the barman, tho lieensee and the drunken person to be each heavily fined and tho license to be endorsed. At the third offence tho licensee to be prohibited from holding a license or living in any hotel licensed by his wife or any of his family, or holding any interest in any hotel in which he resides. 7. That it bo made illegal to supply more than one drink to any person unless he has in tho meantime left the premises and been obsent therefrom fully half an hour. 8. That it bo a criminal offence to supply any person under the age of twonty-one with intoxicating liquor. NO-LICENSE OR TEMPERANCE. THE INCREASING DRINK BILL. WHAT IS THE REMEDY? (Special to the “N.Z, Times.' 1 ) CHRISTCHURCH, November 29. In an article entitled ‘'The Reform of the Liquor Trade" the “Press" says; “A remarkable fact is noted in connection with the no-lictlnse movement by our /contemporary the 'New Zealand Times,' a journal generally regarded as in close sympathy with the trade. It is that concurrently with a steadily increasing vote for abolition of hotels, there has been an increase in tho national drink l bill. According to our contemporary's figures (which we have not checked) the cost of the liquor consumed by the population has risen from £2 19s per head in IS9G to £3 15s KM in 1907, As this growth has synchronised with the extension of no-liceuso areas and with a reduction of the number of hotels in other districts, the 'New Zealand Times' argues that clearly the no-license vote is swelled to its present large proportions by the combination of moderate drinkers with 'true-blue prohibitionists/ The drink bill for the whole Dominion and the entry of almost unlimited quantities of spirituous liquors into no-lioenso areas,' it says, 'proves that absolutely.' “This bears out exactly the view which we took before; the publication of the figures. We said that a large number of the moderate party were voting nolicense .simply to express their dissatisfaction with tho present method of carrying on the trade. We said then, and we are confirmed in tho view, that the moderate party will continue to be still further alienated and the no-llcense vote will continue to grow unless the trade is completely reorganised in accordance with the altered state of public opinion. But • tho simultaneous growth in tho drink bill conveys still another lesson. It shows that the purely political agitation carried on by the no-liccnse party does not lessen the amount of drinking throughout the country. We aro more than ever confirmed in the belief, that greater temperance is to be brought about, not by closing up hotels with the inevitable sequel of clandestine drinking, but by moral suasion leading bo the cultivation of habits of personal self-con-trol. Tho old-fashioned temperance reformers sought to reform the individual from within. The prohibitionist enthusiast of to-day peaks to restrain him forcibly from without by interfering with personal freedom. Such methods are neither in accord with the nature of man nor with the workings of divine grace, so far as we understand them, and so are predestined to failure." TAUMARUNUFS FIGURES. PRESS ASSOCIATION. WAITARA, November 29. Local option final figures for Taumaruaui are:— Continuance ... ... ... 2542 Reduction ... ... ... 1182 No-lioense ... ... ... 1921 Valid votes ... ... ... 4563 OHINEHURI'S FIGURES. WAIHI, November 28. The official declaration of the licensing poll for Ohinemuri was made this morning, as follows: Continuance 2040 Reduction ... 2295 No-license 3340 No-license was carried by 86 votes.