Guarded On Drinking Hours

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31121, 26 July 1966, Page 1

Guarded On Drinking Hours

(N.Z. Press Association). WELLINGTON, July 25. Reaction in Wellington today to the National Party conference’s call for a Government promise to introduce legislation on drinking hours without a referendum was guarded.

Most organisations declined to give any full comment on the matter. The general opinion was that it was too early to make a statement. However, the Hotel Association congratulated the National Party on passing such a

remit. “We express the wish that the Government will see fit to act in this way,” the chief executive of the association (Mr J. J. Williams) said. Mr Williams said the association’s policy had always been: “We’ll give the public what they want.” However, he declined to comment on what new or extended hours the association would like to see introduced. “It’s hard to say," he said. “Different areas want different hours, depending upon the needs of the district.” Methodist Reaction The chairman of the Wellington district of the Methodist Church (the Rev. W. F. Ford, of Tawa) said it had always been his church’s policy that any change in hours should be the subject of a referendum. “There are so many famil-

ies Involved. We feel families have the right to have a say,” he said. Mr Ford said that the church’s committee on temperance had to report on licensing hours in a few weeks. However, he doubted whether the report would mean any change in church policy towards this matter. He thought the church would maintain its present policy because of the increase in alcoholism and road accidents caused by drinking. The general secretary for the Presbyterian Church (the Rev. H. S. Scott) said: “The matter is up before the church at the moment.” “No-one in the church will be able to give any comment until the committee of liquor problems and alcoholism has made up its mind.” The Bishop of Wellington

(the Right Rev. H. W. Baines) said it was too early to make any official statement on drinking hours.

The Commissioner of Police (Mr C. L. Spencer) said the matter was one for the Government. “I don’t feel I should comment on this,” he said. The Vicar-General of the Roman Catholic Arch-Diocese of Wellington (the Right Rev. Monsignor W. J. Heavey) also declined to comment.