PERILS OF THE BAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue CXXIII, 10 April 1937, Page 10

PERILS OF THE BAR

YOUNG MAORI RACE

DISCUSSION AT SYNOD

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

HAMILTON. This Day.

A lengthy discussion was provoked last evening at the General Synod, of the Anglican Church' by ■' a motion moved by Archdeacon K. Hodgson (Rotorua). It was "that this^ Synod views with apprehension the excessive consumption of intoxicating liquorin this country and would urge stricter application of the existing laws." ■ The mover stated that the position was brought, home in Rotorua. where hundreds of men employed at the afforestation and Public "Works contract jobs were fair play for the Rotorua hotels. There was no question of "graft" or connivance by the police but there was excessive.- drinking. People did not get drunk in the Dominion as in England;, they were drugged, as an inferior quality of liquor was often sold. He had heard ofV prosecutions regarding the quality of liquor ■ sold. . ; "I resent the statement that; there is excessive consumption of liquor in this country," said Mr. H. A. R. Huggins, layman, Wellington. Whatever the position, might be at Rotorua New Zealand is admittedly one of the most, sober of countries." ' . '

The motion was supported by Bishop Bennett,.who said that at a recent Maori gathering in the Wellington district Maori leaders deplored the increase in drinking among the young men of the various tribes and, hoped that something drastic would be done to protect. young men from ; the ravages of the drink habit.

"I have noticed a. tremendous increase in the drinkir3 habits of the people, Maori as well as pakeha, since easy money has come into their hands," said Bishop Bennett. "Every Saturday finds the bars crowded, and I know of one case where the number of barmen has increased six times over on.account of the free day on Saturday. It is very pathetic to find some Maori mothers roused almost to tears when they realise the havoc which is being done "to the race by the increased, drinking habits of the people. They express the hope that the Government can be induced to prohibit the' Maori people from procuring- liquor altogether.",, . A novel note was struck by Bishop Holland, Wellington,' who stated, that he once ran a public house for seven years. The: hotel, known as the parson's pub, was under disinterested management and the profits went to pay the church organist. "My association! with the.public house led me to take up the whole problem. The only hope of making the liquor traffic a normal and not an abnormal thing in' the life of the community. is the elimination of private profits."

The advisability of urging State control or other means for eliminating private profits, ana/also methods of dealing with drinking ■at dances, were under discussion when the Synod adjourned.- ■. . ■ ■".■:'