COMMISSION ON LICENSING

Southland Times, Issue 25641, 7 April 1945, Page 4

COMMISSION ON LICENSING

Evidence To .Be Given In City

FEW ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED

From inquiries made in the city yesterday it would appear that few persons or organizations will give evidence befor the Royal Commission on Licensing when it sits in Invercargill. The date of the sittings has not yet been fixed, but, as those who wish to give evidence are requested to notify the secretary of the commission before next Saturday, it is expected that the date and place of sitting will soon be made known.

The only organizations known to be giving evidence are the Invercargill Licensing Trust and the Southland branch of the New Zealand Alliance. The Southland Presbytery is also considering giving evidence. It is not known whether any individual persons will tender evidence, but many citizens have expressed the hope that the “man in the street” would be represented in the evidence. His viewpoint on the sale and supply of liquor and the hours, they, contend, might be illuminating and constructive.

Bodies such as the Invercargill Restoration Committee and the Municipal Control Committee, which were active before and after the last general election, will not be tendering evidence. The chairman of the Municipal Control Committee (Mr Frank Holloway) said that as the experiment of the Invercargill Licensing Trust was only in its developmental stages, it would be futile to offer comment in evidence to the commission. As far as he could see the trust was doing good work, and only when it had a chance to develop its experiment would the time be opportune to commend or condemn the scheme. He was pleased to learn that the accommodation provided by the trust at Avenal was “100 per cent.,” and according to visitors who had lodged there it was equal to the best to be found in New Zealand. The service left nothing to be desired, he added.

WOMAN APPOINTED TO COMMISSION MRS B. F. LOGIE, OF LOWER HUTT

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 6. The acting Prime Minister, Mr Nash, announced tonight the appointment of Mrs Bella Fernie Logie, of Lower Hutt, as a member of the Royal Commission recently set up to inquire into licensing matters.

Mrs Logie is the widow of Sergeant George Logie, 15th Royal Scots Regiment. For several years past she has taken a prominent part in social welfare matters. She is president of the women’s section of the R.S.A. for the Hutt Valley and is also welfare officer for that body. She is the women’s representative on the rehabilitation committee of the Hutt Valley and president of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary for the Hutt Valley. Of her six sons one was killed in Greece, one has been invalided home after long service overseas, one has had three and a-half years’ service in the Middle East, one is in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in the Pacific, one is a prisoner of war in Germany and one is doing commando work with the Navy in the North Sea area. Mrs Logie has also three daughters. “In addition to the value to the commission of Mrs Logie’s personal qualifications,” said Mr Nash, “her appointment will give expression to the desire of women’s organizations for the inclusion of a woman in the personnel of the commission.” Mr Nash also announced that Mr Thomas Jordan, of Masterton, who was one of the original appointees to the commission, had advised his inability to act on the commission because of the pressure of his private business affairs. His resignation accordingly had been accepted with regret. Mrs Logie’s appointment brings up the c implement of the commission to the original strength of nine. RESUMPTION - OF PUBLIC SITTINGS COMMISSION TO GO TO AUCKLAND (P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 6. The Royal Commission on Licensing will resume its public sittings in Wellington on Tuesday. Later in the week it will, hear submissions made on behalf of the New Zealand Returned Services Association, the Officer’s Club and certain returned servicemen, local and other bodies and private evidence. After the Wellington sittings the commission wifi go to Auckland to hear evidence there. It will then determine the centres to be visited in the North Island.