ABOLITION OF BARMAIDS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 698, 23 July 1903, Page 20

ABOLITION OF BARMAIDS.

DISCUSSED BY WAIAPU REFORM

LEAGUE.

At a meeting of the Waiapu (Gisborne) Temperance Reform League, an animated discussion took place with regard to the following clause of the Committee’s report with reference to barmaidsi, "To disallow the employment of females in bars except where they are interested in the business, or are immediate relatives of the licensee.”

Mrs Scott said a barmaid, according to her mitfd, should not be prohibited from earning her living in such a manner. It was disgusting if men were not able to behave better. It would be a disgrace to the colony for such a state of affairs to exist. A stock-in-trade of the no-license party was that such a movement should be advocated.. She was sorry to see the clause in the report, and was of opinion that the hotels would have been in a worse state had barmaids not been serving.

Mr-Lysnar-held that' Mrs Scott did: not: perceive the real object of the League. Their desire was to minimise to the greatest extent the attractiveness of the bar. A matter to be deplored was the magnet of the barmaids to young men ; they did not want such an attractiveness to be permitted. There was., no doubt that some fine women were barmaids. But that was xiot the question. It was the ;attractiveness of such fine, pleasant women. (Laughter.) He -feonsidered they were all good women, and the main issue of t]je League was>td- make the' bars as less attractive as possible. *

Mrs Scott contended that such a move had been considered a great point by; Miss Balgarnie when in that district, and she did not fail to make use of it. She (Mrs Scott) moved that the clause be. struck out.

Mr Lysnar said he would second the motion pro forma.

Mr Birrell confessed that he was not a teetotaller, and considered that a good number of shillings which crossed the bar were due to the attractiveness of the fine young women behind the bar. This he knew from experience. He would like to emphasise the fact that the League did not. wish to make any disparagement of the sex—it was the “ magnet.” He stated that a local publican took upon himself to do away with barmaids, but he found that his returns were not up to the usual standard, and he wasi glad to reinstate them.

Mr Lysnar said that it was reported that that licensee had been £lO per week short in his takings. As far as Miss Balgarnie’s statement was concerned re the abolition <of’barmaids, if .it suited her to put an evil construction on the matter, he was sure that the community at large

would not do so. He considered that they should not be swayed on the matter because of Miss Balgarnie’s improper construction. Mrs Scott’s motion was put to the meeting and lost. After further discussion it was decided that the clause should read as follows : “ To disallow the employment of females in bars,. except where they are the licensees or are immediate relatives of the licensees.”