ON THE COAST

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23262, 25 July 1945, Page 4

ON THE COAST

Some Unwritten Liquor Laws Social Value Of Hotels 'N.Z.P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH. July 24. ' Explaining that he did not wish , witness to make admissions. Mr i Justice Smith, chairman of the i Roy;-1 Commission on Licensing, to-day questioned Mr Durham Dew. il. representing Greymouth, • Bulkt and Motueka licensees, on 1 his ideas on the social values of and the* need for hotels on the His Honour said the Licensing ComI mittee reported that after-hour trading was mere or less prevalent, and prosecutions ame before the court from time to time. The committee took the view that the lawful sale of liquor during evening hours was needed. It also reported that there was no disorder)iness. He asked if Mr Dowell would say that Vx’as correct. Mr Dowell: Yes. In Greymouth and Westport an undertaking was made between hotelkeepers that when a ship blew its whistle it was an unwritten law that sailors were chased out of hotels to join their ships. In Greymouth the other day a ship was up to sail at 6 p.m. and two sailors were ordered cut at 5.45 p.m. “And if the whistle u*ent at 10 p.m.?” asked the chairman. “The same thing,” replied Mr Dowell amid 1. lighter. The chairman: Give us some idea of the sc ial values and the need of hotels. I Do they take the place of clubs? Do people gather there in the evenings and h-xVe a drink? Mr Dowell: Take the hotel in BlackI ball, where 20 or 22 miners stay. Well, I I would say some of the miners entertain their friends. The chairman: The hotel is the home of the miner and he entertains his friends? Mr Dowell: Yes. The chairman: Do citizens gather in the hotels in the evenings for a chat? Mr Dowell: Not to my knowledge. There are instances where they have. That is proved by prosecutions. I know’ the Coast gets a name for afterhour dri iking, but m” own orinimi is that it is very 7 much exaggerated. There is no part of New Zea'and where it does not go on. The existing laws tend to make it that way. Rush for a “Spot” Continuing, Mr Dowell said that at 5.20 p.m. Greymouth saw th: miners from Rewanui and Runanga coming in by train and tearing off the train up to the other end of the town for a “spot” before 6 after being in the bow’els of the earth all day. They had to guzzle to be home by 6. Some 1 bushmen cut timber 24 miles from the mills. They got home late and wanted a “spot” before they went home. Mr Justice Smith: Are there instances of the actual need for liquor in the evenings apart from these workers w’ho have to travel some distance? “Yes. The waterside workers.” repli cl Mr Dowell. “They 7 work till 11 p.m. and they have crib at 9. In Greymouth, through an unwritten law’, they went into two hotels and haa a glass of ale 1 and their crib. At present that is stopped." “Since the Licensing Commission ! began?" asked the chairman. Mr Dowell: No. (laughter.) Mr Justice Smith: When did it? Mr Dowell: About three years ago. ■ “Who stopped it?" asked the chairman. “I do not know whether the inspector had a quiet talk about it and stopped it," replied Mr Dowell. “There were two hotels where watersiders could have a pint of beer with their crib and go straight back to work.” Further questioned, Mr Dowell said liquor was sometimes consumed at countrv dances. “And with all this you say there is little disorderliness?" asked the chairman. Mr Dowell replied that drunkenness in Greymouth w 7 as very rare. “To what extent does drunkenness exist on the rest of the West Coast compared with Greymouth? Is it bad in any other place?—No. Your view’ is that if licences were granted freely and hours were extended no harm would occur? —Yes.