Trade Gives Blessing To Licensing Legislation

Chronicle (Levin), 4 December 1948, Page 5

Trade Gives Blessing To Licensing Legislation

Press Association)

(Per

WELLINGTON, Dec. 3. "Although the licensed trade is disappointed with certain aspocts of the legislation, particularly failure to provide for a longer interval between licensing polls, it feels that the Act as a whole is framed on very sensibie lines and is in the best interests of that great majority of the publie whieh desires to partake of intoxicating iiquors without contravcning the law under proper eonditions."

Lhis comment on the Licensing Amendment Act passed this week was made today by >Sir Williarn Perry, chairman of directors of New Zealand Breweries, Limited, and chairman of the National Council of the Licensed Trade. He said the mainspring of the Act was the establishment of the Licensing Control (Tommission invested with very wide powers of supervision aud control of the licensed trade and power to review from time to time the distribution of-licences throughout New Zealand. The success or otherwise of the Act would very largely depend upon the calibre of the Cominission. The provision for the granting of tourist house licences was welcome as were the pro'visions removing irksome restrictions on the holdiug of bona fidfl social functions on licensed premises after norma! closing hours. "The Government deserves great credit for the work, study and preparation entailed prior to the Bill's introduction as does the Opposition for assistiag to place it on the Statute Booltj" 3aid Sir Williarn,