LONDON MORE SOBER.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17913, 8 January 1930, Page 11

LONDON MORE SOBER.

THE CHANGES OF 23 YEARS. RESULT OF EARLY CLOSING.

Sir Robert Wallace, K.C., chairman of the Condon Sessions and also of the Licensing Committee, giving evidence before the Royal Commission on Licensing, said drunkenness and violence resulting from it had largely decreased since the hours for the sale of drink had been reduced, says a London paper. The Commission, under the chairmanship of Lord Amulrce, met in Broadway Buildings, Westminster. It was set up by tiie Government to inquire into the laws relating to the supply and sale of liquor. Sir Robert Wallace, dealing with London closing hours, said that with the exception of Westminster and Holborn all the divisions closed at ten o’clock. Eleven o’clock.was fixed for those two districts because they were considered the pleasure ground of London. The population of these • two places was about 200,000, compared with 4,500,000 in the whole of London, so that 10 o’clock closing prevailed over 24-25ths of the whole area. “It has been said that these exceptions have created a difficulty,” said Sir Robert. “There are, of course, people who cross the boundary from one district to another at closing time, and we recognise that this is an anomaly.” * Some people who desired uniformity contended that 11 p.m. should be the general closing hour for London, but Sir Robert said he thought this would create an even greater anomaly. There were residential districts on the fringe of the County of London, such as West Ham, where the closing hour varied from 10 to 10.30 p.m. “The anomaly would be multiplied 30 times so far as the ring of towns round the county are concerned,” he said. Sir Robert, referring to the reduction of licensed hours, said: “Speaking with 23 years’ experience as chairman of the licensing authority of London, I saw that the drunkenness that was so prevalent 23 years ago has largely disappeared. Anyone who knows London today knows that it is quite exceptional to discover drunkenness. In the old days, too, when men were turned out of a public house at a very late hour, many of them under the influence of drink? the crime known as wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm was very prevalent. It is now practically non-existent from that cause.

Sip Robert said night clubs four or five years ago seemed ot be a subject calling for very grave attention from the State, but the evil had been greatly mitigated lately.

Club Fear Unfounded. A few years ago, owing to one or two exceptional, cases in which the compensation authority had closed houses, it was said that someone immediately opened a club. A great deal of feeling was excited, but what

was feared then had not happened. The prosecution of motorists drunlc in charge of cars was also mentioned by Sir Robert. He said: “It is ridiculous to maintain the law as it stands. I have suggested . to the authorities that the word “drunk” should be dropped altogether. Instead, the charge should be one of taking intoxicants so as to render anyone unable to take charge of a motor car. The word “drunk" has so many different meanings. Some men after taking drink can talk quite reasonably, yet they are incapable of driving a -car. It is ridiculous to use the word ‘drunk.’ i suggest a great modification in the law." The Commission adjourned.