DRINKING BY WOMEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3861, 13 March 1928, Page 60

DRINKING BY WOMEN.

AUCKLAND, March 7. The Auckland Licensing Commitete today expressed disapproval of the practice of encouraging women to drink in hotels, and gave a general warning to licensees. The practice of serving women xvith drink in hotels was brought under the notice of the Licensing Committee by Inspector Hollis, in charge of the central police district. He particularlj’ referred to the Imperial Hotel, where, he said, women xvere served xvith bottles of beer in a small upstairs room. On Friday afternoon he found three women drinking beer. They appeared to be the wives of wealthy men. Each woman . had. a small bottle of beer. On one occasion there xvere 12 men and eight women in the room, and on still another occasion 16 men and five women. The licensee had insisted that he was within his rights, but Inspector Hollis contended, from a moral point of view, that xvomcn should not be encouraged to go into hotels and drink small bottles of beer. Counsel for the licensee said his client made special arrangements to serve women in one room. He wanted to conform with the law in every way.