ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HOTELKEEPERS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1159, 27 June 1912, Page 21

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HOTELKEEPERS.

CATERING FOR WOMEN. A great storm was raised at a recent gathering of “Temperance Advocates” against certain hotels providing facilities to encourage women to drink, and amendments were demanded to the licensing laws to prevent this state of affairs to continue. Mrs Mason, a member of a deputation to city members of Parliament, strongly criticised what she described as the encouragement some licensed victuallers extended to induce women to drink in their hotels. She related an instance that came under her own observation. A sick child was in a home that she visited in the suburbs one evening. The doctor had ordered spirits for the child. A young girl was sent for these spirits to a hotel, and Mrs Mason accompanied her. Not liking the idea of the girl going into the hotel, Mrs Mason went into the house herself, and was astounded when she was shown into a large room with numerous tables. All the tables were occupied by women, who were drinking. Since then she had been told that the diningroom of the hotel was fitted up comfortably in the evenings for the purpose of encouraging women to drink there. Old and young women were sitting in the hotel when she paid the visit, and she put in a strong plea on behalf of womanhood, and urged that measures should be taken to prevent publicans from catering for the women in the way she had described.

Mr A. E. Glover, M.P., said he regretted exceedingly to hear the remarks made by Mrs Mason. He thought that the name of the publican and the hotel should be given. The matter was one that called for investigations. On the name of th e publican and the hotel being given, Mr Glover said that as an accusation had been made the publican must have the chance to defend himself, and he premised to inquire into the matter. Mr A. Harris, M.P., said he had not the slightest idea that such a state of things existed, and was very

pleased that Mrs Mason had made the matter public, it was further stated that there were other hotels equally bad. Mr J. S. Dickson, M.P., remarked that such a condition of affairs should not be tolerated. Possibly the details given above may be an exaggeration of the true facts, and doubtless the hotelkeeper against whom the chief complaint was lodged has some explanation to offer that may minimise what is unquestionably a regrettable state of affairs. We are perfectly aware that there is no section of the public who are so unfairly criticised and harassed as are the licensed victuallers; but at the same time we must reluctantly admit that if individual hotelkeepers carry on a business that is liable to create a public scandal they are exposing the whole Trade to serious injury. It therefore behoves members of the licensed trade collectively to take such steps as will prevent moderate-minded people being scandalised by a state of things that, to say the least, is not in the best interests of licensed victuallers as a whole. Some twelve or eighteen months ago the subject of serving women in public houses was ventilated before the Licensing Bench, and at the time the Committee hinted that the practice was one they looked upon with disfavour, and trusted the licensed victuallers would not encourage women to drink on their premises. On behalf of one of the leading wholesale firms, it was stated at the time that they strongly discountenanced the practice of serving women, and many hotelkeepers voluntarily promised to refrain from allowing women to drink on their premises.