LIQUOR TRADE REFORM.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 27, Issue 5, 1 May 1937, Page 4

LIQUOR TRADE REFORM.

There was a long and interesting debate m General Synod on this subject, but unfortunately no conclusion was reached. The Bishop of Wellington told of an interesting and satisfactory experiment of a Churchmanaged public-house m his former parish m England, and Synod smiled when a lay member, who had not heard the Bishop, said that managing public-houses always had a bad effect on the character. After various amendments the motion was finally put m the form given below, but lost. The Bishops were nearly all m favour of it, and so were ths clergy, but the laymen rejected it by a small majority.

"That whereas under the present laws a large percentage of the population are enjoying greater leisure, and whereas • the spending power of the community m general has been largely increased, and whereas evidence is accumulating of the large increase m the consumption of intoxicating liquors, it is'- resolved by this Synod of the Church of the Province of New Zealand, commonly called the Church of England: (1) That the Government be urgently requested to take steps to provide facilities for the profitable use of the longer le-isure hours now qn joyed by the people. (2) That urgent steps be taken more effectively to control the traffic m intoxicating beverages by — (a) Insisting on a higher standard of purity m the liquor sold to the public; (b) a more rigid control of the use of liquor (i.) m the King Country and other prohibited areas, (ii.) on private motor vehicles, and (iii.) on unlicensed premises where public entertainment is provided; (c) the immediate setting up of a commission to inquire into the results of the various systems of liquor control m vogue m the United Kingdom with a view to the taking over by the State of the whole of the liquor interests m New Zealand and no eliminating private profit from the trade."