SIX O'CLOCK HOTEL CLOSING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2800, 19 June 1916, Page 6

SIX O'CLOCK HOTEL CLOSING

APPEAL TO MR MASSEY

REQUEST FOR 'REFERENDUM PRIME MINISTER PREFERS DIRECT ACTION A request that the hotels in the city should be closed at 6 p.m. daily during the war period was made by a very big deputation representative of professional and business men which waited on the Prime Minister on Saturday. The deputation was introduced by the Hon. J. G. \V. Aitken, M.L.C. It happens that the request of the deputation is also tho prayer of a number of petitions at present being investigated by a Committee of the House, and under these circumstances the> Primo Minister said it would be improper for him to commit the Government'to anything. Mr. R. Hall spoke of the great loss in national efficiency in tho British, as in other nations, breause of the drink curse. A great deal had been ■ said about the revenue derived from the liquor traffic in New Zealand. The Prime Minister : I should like to ask what the deputation asks. Is it prohibition or shortening of hours P Mr. Hall: Both, Sir.'" Voices:,No! No! Sir! Six o'clock clos"llr. Hall contended that the revenue of the Dominion would not bo jeopardised by the removal of the drink traffic. He would pledge the word of the commercial ajid professional' members of the community to make good any deficiency in revenue caused by the suggested reform until the necessary legislation to collect more revenue could be brought down. (Hear, hear.) He argued that wliilo shops in which necessaries were sold could not be kept open after six o'clock, people were induced to waste money by unneoesßary expenditure in publichouses. If a referendum were taken on tho question he was sure that 6 o'clock cloSiiig would be carried. Mr. C. Cathie said that he did not attach any weight to tho contention of the other side that the trade was under full control because it was licensed. He approved of the proposal to prohibit "shouting," but he was afraid that it would be easy to evade this clause, and he was also afraid that it would not do much good unless the hours of 6ale were restricted.

Mr. J. Hutcheson referred to other evils following in the wake of drink, to whioh evils iate drinking largely contributed.

Mr. C.- M. Luke suggested that tho tenjptation of drink and the evils following -upon it was so great that some parents were unwilling to send their boys to camp. < Mr. W. Ferguson urged that in the interests of convalescent returned soldiers early. closing was necessary, because many of theni were hindered in their recovery by tho very many opportunities for drinking to excess. Messrs. C. R. Smith, J.; MT3ldowney, E. J. King, and other speakers urged that in tlie interests of soldiers in camp and of other young men early closing was desirable.

The Prime Minister's Reply. The Prime Minister, in replying, assured the deputation that every member of the Cabinet and of Parliament was .just as anxious for the welfare of . the soldiers and tho welfare of the population as any member of the deputation. (Hear, hear.) A member of the deputation: We believe it.

Mr. Massey said that whatever their differences were, they all desired to do the right thing. (Hear, hear.) There seemed to be a great deal of misapprehension—he was not referring to what had been said by the deputation—in connection with'th'e request for early closing. He had noticed with great regret that a certain gentleman, with tho prefix "ltev." to his name, had stated that the Government had received petitions bearing 100,000 signatures in favour of early closing, and had turned them down. He hoped that this gentleman was ignorant of tho real state of affairs.

Members of the deputation: He must have bean.

Mr. Massey said.that the usual facilities had been afforded in regard to the hearing of the petitions, «ond as a matter of fact the Petitions had been set up earlier than usual in order that it might deal with the petitions without any unnecessary delay. Tho committee had commenced to take evidence, and it would probably take another week to hear tho remainder of the witnesses. Instead of any difficulties being placed in the way, additional facilities had been afforded. (Hear, hear.) j

The War Regulations Bill

Coming to the request of tho deputation, Mr. Massey said that the War Regulations Bill was intended to deal -with tho control of the liquor traffic during the war period, so far as it was possible to deal with it. The Bill provided that "shouting" should be illegal, and punishable by a fine. If that fine were not paid, tlie alternative was imprisonment. He had no statistics before him just then so far as London was concerned, but ho knew it was a fact that tho convictions for. drunkenness had largely decreased thero through the anti-"s;houting" Taws. (Hear, hear.)

A voice: But they have restricted areas there.

Mr. Massey: "Tes, but tho hotels are open, on Sundays, which no one would tolerate here." (Hear, hear.) Mr. Massey, proceeding, said that the Government was not closing its eyes to what was going on. There were other provisions in the Bill for dealing with the liquor traffic. In referring to the action lately taken by theJVellington Licensing Committee in regard to certain matters, he said that he believed tho police had done its duty. If a house was improperly conducted, it should be closed without delay. (liear, hear.) With this matter,' however, the Government had nothing to do. He reminded the deputation that New Zealand was one of the very few countries in the Empire that luul refused to have wet canteens in the camps. (Hear, heai.) He just mentioned this to show that the "Government was douig all it possibly could to remove temptation from the soldiers. He did not know what report the Petitions Committee would bring down, and he knew there was a difference of opinion among the members of the committee as well as in the House. He hoped that it would not go forth that our soldiers were addicted to drink.

Members of the deputation: No, no. Mr. Massejr said th«t he had mixed with the soldiers tn a certain extent; and ho believed that the average soldier was less addicted to drink thaa tTio average .civiliaji. A member of the deputation: They ought not to be, beoauso they are young men. v The Prime Minister then paid a warm tribute to the work done by tho Welliugfcon women in connection with the Soldiers' Club. They hod worked hard and enthusiastically to provide recreation in the evenings for the soldiers. These women had dono a great work—a noble work—but he did not think- that they wene receiving the support to which they were entitled. He suggested to the members of the deputation that they should do all they could to help the club. Direct Action or None. • Proceeding, Mr. Massey said that tho War Regulations Bill would not bo dealt with until after the conclusion of tho financial debate. If anything were dono in- regard to early closing, it would be done in tho Bill. A member of the deputation: Wo do not ask for that. We want a referendum; Mr. Massey: Personally, I prefer direct action. I think . that every member should havo the courage to voto as his conscience dictates. (Hear, hear.) That is my view, but, of course, I am only one of eighty members. You will understand that on a question such as this 1 cannot commit the Government, especially as evidence on the subject is now being taken by a Parliamentary Committee, which will report in due course. The Government is anxious to do all that

it cam to promote the welfare of the soldiers. The deputation passed a hearty vote of thanks to the Primo Minister for his courteous reception, aud gave him three hearty cheers. A member of tho deputation (laughing): That sounds as if we had got all that wo wanted. Another member of the deputation: So wo have!