LIQUOR QUESTION

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21708, 20 April 1942, Page 4

LIQUOR QUESTION

PRIME MINISTER’S.REMARKS SUB-COMMITTEE AT WORK j WHANGAREI, Sunday I A large number of women’s organ- j isations in the Whangarei district I were represented in a deputation j which waited on the Prime Minister, I the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, in Whangarei I tonight and expressed concern at the ! prevalence of excessive drinking, J particularly among soldiers. The Prime Minister observed that if the cause of the loss of mental j equilibrium and moral balance could ; be removed from liquor, leaving the ; wholesome constituents, it would be j a decided advance. On the other ; hand, if the alcoholic content were j reduced below a certain amount, the j danger would arise of a revival of! home brewing, bringing all sorts of j concoctions on the market, as oc- I curred during the depression. j He looked on the reduction of : alcoholic content as very important. Sugar, upon which the alcoholic content largely depended, was to be j rationed and a scarce commodity J could be put to better use than the j production of drink. All the matters | were being examined, and the At- j torney-General, the Hon. H. G. R. | Mason, and the Minister of Health, j the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, had been j appointed a sub-committee to in- j vestigate amending legislation, which j would be dealt with as soon as pos- j sible, perhaps during the coming ! short session of Parliament.