SEAMEN AND LIQUOR

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12465, 5 June 1926, Page 5

SEAMEN AND LIQUOR

INTERESTING EVIDENCE MISSIONER’S EXPERIENCE APPLICATION FOR HOTEL LICENSE Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, June 4. Interesting evidence regarding seamen and liquor was given to-day before the Licensing Committee which is considering the question of granting the old Thames Hotel license to the new Ambassadors’ Hotel an the waterfront.

A witness called by Sir John Findlay was Alfred Preston Cowie, who has been Missioner for Seamen at Auckland for the past 19 years. He said that during that time he had been brought in daily contact with seamen and waterside workers of all kinds. So far as seamen were concerned their sobriety compared favourably with that of landsmen. People said: “There goes a drunken fireman.” Why not say: “There go 20 sober firemen.” The sailor was a very appealable individual, and hotelkeepers should not give them racecourse whisky or any other bad drink. Sir John Findlay: I went to the races yesterday and I don’t feel any the worse for it. (Laughter.) Continuing, witness said most watersiders and sailors had their own hotels to go to, and he did not think they would change for a new hotel in Quay street. In his opinion the new hotel would create no increase in drinking on the waterfront. A great deal depended on the hotelkeeper, and tha evil 9 could be minimised by management.

Sir John Findlay: Does the fact that a seaman lias to walk one minute further deter him from getting a drink?—No, he would amble all the way to get there. (Laughter.) In reply to Mr Johnstone, the witness said that in his experience he found that drink was not the worst temptation sailors had to contend with. You swear that ?—Yes. I swear it before God. Is it not a fact that drink is a danger to men on ships?—What drink? Beer and other liquor?—l have a glass of beer occasionally. (Laughter.! Sir John Findlay (to witness): Do you know that prison reports show that there is less crime due to drink among sailors than among any other class? — That is very interesting. Continuing, the witness said that in 1918 he was appointed missioner to the waterside workers. There was very-little drunkenness during that year, and he believed that spirit was with them still. The hearing was adjourned till tomorrow.