"SIX O'CLOCK, GENTLEMEN!"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 59, 3 December 1917, Page 6

"SIX O'CLOCK, GENTLEMEN!"

NEW ORDER FOR HOTEL BARS IN FORCE AN ABSENT-MINDED BARMAN

POLICE CELLS EMPTY ON SATURDAY NIGHT

The new law governing the closing hours of hotels came into operation on Saturday. Prior to Saturday the public bars were bound to open at six o'clock in the morning and close at ten o'clock at night. Tho new law is that the bars must open at nine and close at six. . This is a reduction by nearly 50 per cent, of the hours that the bars may be kept open .for —a reduction from sixteen hours to nine hours.

It is said that some doubt existed in the minds of tlio licensed trade as to whether the new law operated as from the evening of December 1 or ap from tlie morning. Some were of opinion that though the law obliged them to close at 6 p.m. on December 1, it did not bind them to remain closed that morning until 9" o'clock. Several hotels opened as usual at six a.m., but the majority of licensees took no risk and the doors of the bars were not unbolted until the hour of nine had'struck.

The Man Who Forgot. Tho almost inevitable absent-minded man is reported to have intruded himself into the otherwise uneventful inauguration of the new order of things. This was a barman who opened up as usual'at six a.m., and had had business in full swing for some time when someone less absent-minded drew his attention to the fact that it had not been intended to open that hotel until nine a.m. The barman closed his do6rs again and awaited tlio arrival of the new hour which now marks the beginning of his day. The alteration of the morning hour caused little comment in the city, but the evening change was much discussed. However, the old order passed quietly. As six p.m. approached some of the bars appeared to be doing rather less business than usual for that time of the day. But Saturday is unlike other days in tlio week —men pet out of town at midday and are not back by six. One popular bar was tightly packed with soldiers for some time before tho closing hour, but as is ."lways the case with this house, and is usually so with soldiers, all was quiet and orderly. When notified that the bar was about to be closed the big crowd quitted almost without remark. In another big hotel a party spent tlie last" few minutes singing songs wliicli they considered appropriate. They were just getting warmed up when sounds of "Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag smile, smile," reached the oars of the licensee, who hastened to subdue the vocalists. So, inside the housos all went much as usual. Outside some change was noticeable. Men liung about for a considerable time, clearly at a loss as to where to go or what to do ; What one judges to be a big increase in the numbrief bags brought to town also was observed. Some of the brier batrs" were suit cas<?s, and few who noticed the absence of ease with which they wero lugged along imagined that tliey contained kapoc.

No Saturday Night Inebriates. There were no arrests for drunkenness in the citv on Saturday night, and the cells at tho Lambton Quay police station remained empty. Such proof of sobriety has not been available on a Saturday night for a very long time.

LEGALITY OF THE MEASURE TO BE DISPUTED. Tlie Solicitor-General ha = received from Mr. William Barr, of Wellington, notice that' a petition is being prepared to be filed in the Sunreme Court, to linvo tlie decision of Parliament to closo liotel bars at 6 o'clock, set _apde. The grounds will bo set outjater in the petition. Mr. Barr's notice concluded: "The high aims of British law iavine been overlooked through .Parliament's submission to extremist clamour, national honour and safety demands that the violation of our constitution shall <:casc."