TIME FOR SOBRIETY

Cue (NZERS), Issue 3, 15 July 1944, Page 4

TIME FOR SOBRIETY

THE recent decision of Invercargill to re-license has once again focussed attention upon the position of the licensing trade in N.Z. It is interesting to compare the situation with that of Europe and parts of the British Empire.

£T.'Z. is the only country which combines ar liquor referendum with her general Parliamentary elections. Figures show a growing inclination towards State Control, which might indicate a desire on the part of the people towards an intelligent approach to the whole question of the sale of alcoolic liquor in the country. Licencing laws, throughout the British Empire, and particularly in N.Z., contain much that/ is absurd, uneconomic, and in some cases, definitely anti-social. - <

LEGAL HOURS. The hours of the legal sale, of drink are, for the most part, either inconvenient or undesirable. In normal peace time the Public Account benefits to the extent of something like L 2 ,000,000 per annum in duty from alcohol and

it does seem a short sighted policy to stop at the mere collection of the tax and ignore almost entirely the comfort or convenience of the public.

This article is' not-intended to advocate either the control or consumption of liquor, but it is suggested that this valuable source of revenue should be made as « painless » as possible —if such a term might be used. ■

COURT CONVICTIONS.

This shows an annual average of 6594 convictions for drunkenness in JMew Zealanl, while in the war years the absence overseas of a large part of the male population must be taken into account when examining these statistics. The total male population over 21 years of age, as at Ist April, 1942 —including the Maori racewas 489,638.

Broadly speaking this shows drunkenness convictions to be one to every 74 men legally entitled .to drink alcoholic

liquor. A formidable figure! And it must be remembered that these are figures for prosecutions only. The inci- , dence of persistent drunkenness neve reaching the prosecution stage can only' be imagined./: CLOCK DRINKING.

There must be a reason for this position. It has been argued — perhaps rightly — that 'a basis for this complaint lies in the existing hours permitted for the sale of: liquor. « Drinking against the clock» has long been recognised as an evil. This might be the underlying factor in this regrettable situation. England, from whose laws New Zealand takes her lead, * has as Legal hours, 11 am till. 3 pm and from 5 pm to 10 pm or 11 P m - These vary slightly — an hour one

way or the other — according to the country or licencing district. London, which contains several borough licencing committees, has many anomalies which are quite absurd.

For instance, the closing hour on the north side of Oxford street, a densely populated area is 10 pm, while the public houses on the other side of the road remain open until 11 pm. It is also possible to visit in the same district big restaurants, which are .both cheap and popular, and obtain drink until midnight — provided a meal or even a

mere sandwich is purchased j at the same time. Certain clubs have a drink licence until 2 am and membership of such clubs can be obtained and the licence law satisfied by the formal payment of 276. Moreover, for the ■ benefit of the workers, the big early morning

markets, such as Smithfield, Covent Garden and Billingsgate, open their local hotels from five o’clock until nine o’clock.

Thus there exists a hodgepodge of licencing regulations which sometimes give rise to abuses, but the Englishman is never confronted with the « clock drinking » problem. Sunday hours "are slightly different, namely, 12 noon until 2 pm and from 7 pm until 10 pm. This is common throughout the country. Legally, a traveller can demand refreshment from a publican,' out of regulation hours, provided it can be proved that he

has journeyed three miles. Not many people, however, exercise this right which is, perhaps, just as well. Canada has rather stringent regulations. Bars and saloons are numerous, but the individual has to possess a special permit to purchase liquor for consumption off licenced premises. In common with most colonial hotels apart from Great Britain, little or no attempt is made to provide anything but the bare drinking facilities.? English public houses,

particularly those owned by the big breweries, make a special point of providing comfort and amusement, this tending to raise drinking above the level of ' mere «swilling.» America is in a «peculiar situation regarding liquor laws. Each state makes its own regulations and in

some cases the saloons ’are open continuously day and night. In general, the Americans adopt the attitude that liquor is there to be sold; it is a profitable source of revenue to the country and they can see no point in restricting the consumption of alcohol any more than they would suppress the functioning of restaurants. As far as New Zealand is concerned, a general overhaul of the licencing laws is obviously long overdue. It is axiomatic that repression of an evil only emphasises it.

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