ABUSE OF LIQUOR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 64, 17 March 1942, Page 6

ABUSE OF LIQUOR

VIGILANCE COMMITTEE Al TEK-HOI K TRADING NOT TOLERATED. (P.A.) Auckland, March 13. The checking of abuses in the sale i and consumption of liquor in the Auckland metropolitan area is aimed I at in a series of decisions made as the I result of several conferences between I the heads of the licensed trade in the (Auckland province and Canon R. G. Coats, vicar of St. Matthew's, who has been appointed chairman of a special vigilance committee set up for the [purpose of seeing that decisions are [effective. Specific instructions which • have been issued to licensees throughout the metropolitan area will operate | as from to-morrow. According to these instructions no after-hour trading will be tolerated and all hotels must rigidly observe legal trading hours. All service of liquor to women in bars and lounges must cease al 5 p.m. each day. What have been known as women’s bars will cease to function as such. These instriu I ions are based on a formula of action arrived at by a special meeting called tor the purpose of creating machinery to deal with the vending of alcoholic liquor from the manufacturer to public and checking of the abuse of its sale and consumption. [Various general resolutions were (adopted to provide the necessary I formula According to these necessary steps are to be taken for the (rigid observance of the law, particularly as it touches after-hour and Sunday trading. Reduction to a minimum of drinking by Maoris on licensed premises and the strictest supervision of sales that might be intended for Maori consumption off the premises. Prevention, as far as possible, of indiscriminate meeting of men and women in lounges, etc., and lhe complete abolition of excessive drinking by women and the elimination Ci excessive drinking by servicemen together with further steps to prevent the sale of liquor to servicemen to carry away from premises. For the purpose of giving effect to these resolutions the conference decided to send copies of them to ail licensees in the province and to the United Licensed Victuallers’ Association of New Zealand, and to advise all bar staffs as to their responsibilities. Canon Coats, who announced Lhe various decision l .; made, said that prompt steps had been taken to implement the various decisions. He had been greatly impressed by the deep I consideration given to the problem of coni rolling the sale of liquor to [ Maoris in hsic! l : and by assurance given him that no Maori would be permitted to carry liquor off the pre- [ nnses. The strictest supervision of Lars wouki maintained by the I licensees themselves.