H—3B

199. The Committee did not recommend any extension of the period between polls or the substitution of a Bench of Magistrates for a district Licensing Committee. They did propose that barmen should be licensed. 200. The following are the recommendations of the 1922 Committee (the Hockly Committee) : 1. That no more licenses are required in the Dominion. It is, however, necessary that there should be a redistribution of licenses more in accordance with the needs of the population in the various districts. Before a Licensing Committee consents to any redistribution the consent of a substantial portion of the inhabitants in the vicinity should be obtained. 2. That the system of a flat-rate licensing fee should be abolished, and that licensing fees should be based on the percentage of liquor sold in the licensed premises. That local authorities should receive the amount of license fees as at present, but that all increased fees should be paid into the Consolidated Fund. 3. That provision should be made as follows : No premium, money, or other valuable consideration shall be paid or given for goodwill on the granting, transfer, or renewal of a lease of licensed premises. Any person receiving any such consideration shall be liable to a fine of £5OO, and on the second offence the license for the house shall be cancelled. Any person paying such premium or purchase-money, or giving any valuable consideration for such goodwill, shall have the right to recover the same, or the value thereof, by action at law. The Court shall have full power to decide whether the payment, premium, or consideration was, either directly or indirectly, in the nature of a provision or payment fot goodwill. 4. That all leases or licenses to occupy licensed premises shall, before becoming operative, have the consent of a Chairman of a Licensing Committee. That in considering the granting or refusal of such consent the Chairman of the Licensing Committee shall take into consideration the general terms of the lease, and decide if the terms are reasonable or unduly oppressive. That the Chairman shall refuse consent to any lease which in his opinion makes provision constituting the premises a tied house under the provisions of the Licensing Act, 1908. If the lease is not strictly within the meaning of the Act, but is obviously in avoidance of the system against which the Act is directed, the Chairman shall have power to refuse consent. 5. That if national prohibition is not carried at the next licensing poll the people of the Rohe Potae should be given the opportunity of voting as to whether they desire license or not; the poll to be taken on the lines laid down in the Licensing Act. 6. That it is necessary that there should be a more effective inspection of liquor and of licensed premises, and more ample penalties provided for adulteration of liquor. That there should be appointed under section 237 of the Licensing Act, 1908, special Inspectors for the purpose of preventing and detecting violations of the Act in connection with adulteration of liquor. That a General Inspector of Licensed Premises, together with Sub-Inspectors under his control, should be appointed. That it should be the duty of the Inspectors to make constant and complete inspection of all parts of licensed premises for the purpose of seeing (1) that the provisions of the Licensing Act are strictly observed, and that the general standard of the accommodation is in keeping with the tariff charged; (2) that the premises are reasonably required and used for public accommodation ; (3) that sufficient information as to the guests who sleep in the house be kept by the licensee, so as to enable the Inspector to ascertain if the licensed premises are required for public accommodation. That a penalty be provided for failure to keep such information as is prescribed. That the Inspectors should have full power conferred upon them to enable them effectively to carry out their duties. 7. That, in order to avoid trafficking in licenses, transfers should not be allowed under three years, except through sickness, or death, or other special circumstances. 8. That all powers and authorities conferred on Licensing Committees should be deemed to be subject to the veto of the Minister. 9. That with a view to making it possible for licensees to provide additional accommodation where necessary without the risk of personal loss, the Licensing Act should be so amended as to provide that in the event of prohibition being carried at any poll it should not come into force until four years have elapsed after the date of such poll. 10. That section 64 of the Licensing Act, 1918, be repealed. 11. That no extension of hours for sale of liquor in chartered clubs should be allowed, but that provision should be made whereby members of such clubs are allowed to adopt the locker system. That provision should be made with regard to the extension of the hours during which liquor may be consumed on club premises for special occasions, each such extension to be granted under a permit and for a particular room in the club. No permits exceeding six in number should be granted in the case of any one club in any one year. That the power to revoke the license of a chartered club provided in section 9 of the Sale of Liquor Restriction Act, 1917, should be modified on the ground that the present penalty is too drastic. 12. That the licensing law should be ao amended as to put restaurants on the same footing as halls or other rooms in regard to the consumption of liquor at social gatherings, provided a permit is first obtained from the police for this purpose. 13. That any Licensed Victuallers' Association, or other organization of the liquor trade, should be permitted to furnish the Chairman of any Licensing Committee with a certificate of character with regard to any applicant for a license.

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