EARLY CLOSING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 12, 9 October 1917, Page 6

EARLY CLOSING

♦ THE BOTTLE AND JUG TRADE. Among the correspondence placed before the Statutes Revision Committee while it was considering tho Sole of Liquor Restriction Bill were letters exchanged by Mr. W. Ferguson, chairman of the National Efficiency Board, and Sir Francis Bell, Leader of'the Legislative Council. "I had a private letter this morning from my late colleague, Mr. Frostick, in wSich he points out that to close the bars at G o'clock without restriction upon the 'jug-and-bottle trade' is likely to produce more evil and less efficiency, than if the publichouses were left open till lu o'clock," wrote Mr. Ferguson on September 28. "1 quite agree with Mr. Frostick In this view, and urge upon you, if Mr. Massey has not already drawn your attention to the matter, to consider carefully tho recommendations which the National Efficiency Board made upon this point—namely, that all alcoholic liquors retailed must be sold for consumption on the premises, and heavy penalties be imposed upon the removal of alcoholic liquor from licensed premises except in fulfilment of wholesale orders; and that in the case of wholesale orders a proper account must be kept of the name and address of each purchaser, the quantity delivered, and in what manner^and' by whom; also, that the provisions now existing in respect of the delivery of alcoholic liquor into a no-licenso district should be applied to all delivery of wTiolesale purchases, so that there wiil be a record initho Magistrate's Court of the deliveries of all alcoholic liquor either to private persons or to the holders of Tetail licenses. The board also made consequential recommendations arising out of these proposals. If a record is kept in the Magistrate's Court of a" deliveries of alcoholic liquors,, the police will have under their direct observation the control of all sales to doubtful persons, and in this way would be able at once to spot and handle all cases of sly grog-selling.** "I will take care that your letter, and the recommendation of the Efficiency [ Board, are brought before the Statutes Revision Committee of the Council, which now has the Bill under consideration," wrote Sir Francis Bell, in reply. "But there is more difficulty than you at the moment appreciate with regard to your main suggestion of restriction on the bottle trade, for it involves an additional hardship upon the licensed victuallers, who already suffer the loss of the morning and evening trade, in drink consumed on the premises. Tour pro-. posol would give to the brewers and wholesale dealers the whole of the bottle trade, and take from the hotels such bottle trade as is already done there. Ton anticipate, and probably correctly, a large increase in the bottle trade by reason of the closing of "hotels in the evening, and I think that .increase would exist practically 'the 6ame if the. quantity purchased at any one time were still ndt less thnn two'sallons. So that the brewers nnd wholesale dealers would be benefited at the expense of the publican, and, as far as T can see, without anv consequent diminution of private drinking. Whatever my own personal opinions on the subject may be (and no one is likclv to attribute to me! sympathy with the publican), it is my business as a member of 'the Committee to endeavour <!o be fair as between the wholesaler and the publican. The brewer has certainly enough advantage already."