Policy On Liquor Charters Enunciated

Chronicle (Levin), 29 December 1949, Page 7

Policy On Liquor Charters Enunciated

WELLIN GTON , Dec. 28. ; The, Wellington Eeturned Serv-ices ' Assoeiation ean get a club charter as sooji as planned alterations are- earried out. There is to be no loeker system and liquor vvill be sold for consuipption on the-premises only. This is an item , in the first club charter' 'decision of the Licensing Control Commission, issued today ovei the .signatures- of Mr A. M. Goulding-(chuir-inan) and Messrs B. Barrington and L. C. Nisbet. The Commission sets its face agamst loeker svstems, repeating the opinion given at" the hearuug 'early this inonth that "the Commission will 'in all cases seek the assuranee of applieants for these charters that no sueh loeker systeui is to be allowed. " " All clubs granted charters must strictly observe hotel hours for selling liquor, and breaelies of the law in this respect wiil endanger.the charter. The County Club (lne.), Hastings, will be granted a charter as soon .as the loekers now in the club are dispensed with. The Wairarapa Soldiers' Hostel (Iuc.), Masterton, has had its applieatioii adjourned sine die, and is ad' viscd to recousider its rules, partieu ' larly with application to civilian mem".. bers. The Commission, however, dis': misses the Masterton Licensing Trust'4 contention that JLt had been granted a, monopoly for the sale of liquor in thV Trust area. The answer, the Commission^ declares, is to be found in its jurisdi.Cntion to grant charters in the area. De'-.' scribing the suppofting evidenee as " very unreal," the Commission Vas satislied that the granting of a charter to the Wairarapa Soldiers'-' Hostei. would not seriously all'ect the existence and operations of the Trust, as kaH been claimed. * . Early in 1950 the Commission will try to arrange hear.ing in the. King Country of applications for club charters in that area. * , * The Commission 's decision said dift'erent types of applications had been listed for initial hearing, the Wairarapa Soldiers' Hostel application being. included so that the question of jurisdiction in the Masterton, Invercargill,. Ashburton, and Geraldine trust areaseoukl be considered. Accepting the view of the Kew Zealanl Alliance, the Commission agreed it "should be careful not to make the granting of a charter in anr particular case a precedent to be i-'ollowed slavishly in others. It should. be cautious not to lay down hard and ;'ast rules t'rom which it might be ditii•ult to depart. Broad Principles Xevertheless, it would be'well'at the outset to emmciate certain broad linea u[)on vvhicli the Commission could lix' its policy in approaching the problem of charters generallv. A club was part' of the privat'e social structure of the

c'ommunity, formed for social intercourse, cqmfQr,t, cQnvenience, and social amenities. • "The right to provide its own liqvtdf's is but one of the social amenties it enjoys," the report comments, " but any gaih from" the sale of liquor does not destroy the nature of the club providing Lt is merely incidental to its prbper purposes. "• \ •..*■ r: A.clubwas not a trading concern but a social institution. Lt should have sojne perinanence, and membership should be selective. Should it be dependeht in any large measure' on revenue from the saleof liquor it \vould fall. into. the catergory of a hotel rather than a priye.te social institution. "That is why, in the yiew of the Commission, the source of revenue from both entrance fees, subscriptions, donations, and endowments is aii important matter to be considered when determin- • ing whether or not • a clnb charter is justihed. " The jprbyision of suitable and ade- , quate preinises for the purpose of the club is alj-impqrtaut, and inight weil provide a key to the true objeet of the club. ' _ ; .'"7" ; ^lihportaiit A'^The ;ke t ter thh ,c bhditi'ons sur roundihg club - life the better wilH be the; ; prospeets cbf; social'- intereourse, convenieice, and; comfort qf member's, ' '. ' says ' the . .Cbxuinissibu. ''The consumption : of . alcohol beihg . an ameni'ty: merely _in:c idental to . the tfue purposes of.' the'. club, any conditions that -would detract from comfort ' and co'n, veiiicnce ''will not only be discouraged ",by the • Comniission but as far as pos-bsjbl'e'-;WPvehtcdr " ■ • .r ' : , ' The. Commission will also iiisist that bprpper./ 'hrriingements 'be ' -made for hygienic conditions and sanitary ■ ar'rangements,; as approyed by the Health Bepartinent and local bodies." Any such loeker syst'em as had been advocated By couhs'el f'br the Christ- ' church Golf Club and the Kew Zealand : Golf; Assoeiation -as being particularly dbsirable Tor golf clubs were " highly undesirable, opbh to abuse, aiid imprdctical. " , 'The granting of charters to clubs with- very- large inemborships should not be cncoufaged.' "It is frauglit with the danger - that the genial and comfort able conditions under which club life should be earried on will tend to disappear; that drinking conditiops would deteriqrate in such clubs; and that membership will be sought primarily for the purpose of enabling members to obtain liquor. " As to the question of whether charters would give -clubs the right to sell liquor for consufnption off th'e premises, the Commission was not prepared to lay down any hard . and fast policy. Eaeh application would be considered on its merif'S. -