SPIRIT OF REFORMATION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 194, 2 September 1937, Page 9

SPIRIT OF REFORMATION

Press AesociaUon.)

Less After-Hours Drinking at Auckland "EXTRAORDINARY P0SITI0N"

(By Telegraph— !

AUCKLAND, Last Night. The spirit of reformation . which appeared to have overtaken hotelkeepers in Auckland city in tha. matteT oi after-hours selling of liquor was the subject of comment by' Mr. Wyvern Wilson, chairman of the Licensing Committec, at its quarterly meeting today. He said that usually the, police report disclosed a number of prosecutions against licensees and also numerous breaches of law by citizens, but on this occasion there was a nil Rst respecting licensees and only eight persons had been found on licensed premises during the past three mont.ha. It seemed fx n extraordinary position in a distriet of 59 hotels. Asked if the nolice had a theoiy to account for it, Sub-Inspector Planagan said that they attributed it to the good times and the fact that there was more drinking in the daytime, with the result that licensees had hot the incentive to allow persons on the premises at night for the purpose *£ drinking. "We have generally found," he added, "that in hard times there is little drinking in the .daytime and a great deal at night." The chairman said it was gratifying to hear the police say that licensees were not allowing persons illegally on the premises at night.