Liquor Booth at Football Match

White Ribbon, Volume 23, Issue 6, 1 August 1951, Page 6

Liquor Booth at Football Match

Reconsideration Requested at Masterton

A resolution requesting the Masterton Licensing Trust to reconsider its recent decision to grant a permit for the sale- of liquor at a Rugby match, revoke the precedent established and make public its discussion of the matter, was carried unanimously at a public meeting, in Masterton. on July sth. The meeting was convened by the Masterton Ministers’ Association following on its recent protest against the Trust granting an application by the Wairarapa Rugby Union for a temporary licence.

There were about 200 people present and a general discussion of the Trust’s action took place in a quiet and orderly way. The Rev. Or. W. G. Slade presided. The principal speaker for the Masterton Ministers’ Association was the Rev. K. A. Hadfield and after Mr. Hadfield «;nd other speakers had been heard, the Chairman of the Masterton Licensing Trust, Mr. J. A. Betts assured the meeting that the Trust naturally bowed to public opinion, and that the opinion expressed would be analvsed bv the Trust.

The main point* made by Mr. Hadfield were: The issue of a temporary licence in the way it had been done, was glaringly irresponsible; it was disastrous reasoning that, because a thing was done, it should therefore be made legal; the statement issued *on behalf of the Trust in reply to the Ministers’ Association protest wi»?. misleading and had been an attempt to bluff the public, in that it implied that the police had approved of the permit being granted; the police in any case had no control over the Trust, nor had the Department of Justice. Mr. Hadfield contended that, there should be some contro 1 over the Trust, which was a law unto itself, was its own judge and was its own victim. There should be some form of Citizens’ Committee to express the view of the public. The following is the full text of the motion moved by the Rev. G. I). Fahoon and seconded by Mrs. H. Speight, on behalf pf the W.C.T.U.: “That in view’ of the opinion expressed at this public meeting and of the far-reaching public consequences following upon the granting of a permit to sell liquor at Rugby Football ma.cbes, the Masterton Licensing Trust be requested to revoke the precedent established and make public its discussion of the matter.” The meeting was addressed by Mr. G. \V. Morice, Major Angus of the Salvation Army, Re\. G. I). Falloon, Messrs. G. Masters and N. Grvlis. All spoke on similar fines, namely, that the Trust had made a mistake in granting a licence for a sports ground. For the Licensing T»ust, Mr Betts said the Trust had not been irresponsiole in its action. He accepted full responsibility for the experiment that had been made. All the Trustees stood behind the decisions they took. The Trust respected the views of the minority. After an informal discussion on the problem of liquor being taken in bottles and consumed on sports grounds, the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the chairman. Dr. Siade. —The Wairarapa “Times-Age ’ 6/7/51.