DRINK PASSPORTS

Hokitika Guardian, 25 June 1921, Page 4

DRINK PASSPORTS

MR MACQUISTEN’S SATIRICAL

SUGGESTIONS,

(Daily Mail Report). LONDON, April 23. There is to be no Licensing Bill this session.

Certain relaxations of existing restrictions have been put forward already by the Board and approved by the Cabinet, said the Attorney-General and others are to follow; but nothing was disclosed as to the extent of these relaxations or their nature. Meanwhile the Government are looking forward to something in the nature of an agreed Bill being devised. There cannot be Prohibition, said the Attor-ney-General definitely. These announcements were made op behalf of the Government at the close of a long debate on a Licensing Bill brought forward by Col. Gretton, of the famous Burton brewing firm. It proposed a comprehensive reform of the licensing system, retaining the present licensing justices but setting up three appeal courts staffed with licensing judges and licensing appeal justices in place of the present appeal to quarter sessions. It was not sought to retain the old hours for the opening of licensed houses (19£- hours in London, 17 hours in provincial towns, and 16 hours in country places), but the present restricted hours under the Control Board system were to be extended to a minimum of' f) and a- maximum of 11 hours a day at tiie discretion of the justices. Greater opportunities for improving public houses were also to be given.

Col. Gretton spoke lor the best sfl* of an hour in support of his Bill, t®d there were some ironical cheers and good-natured chaff when he paused halfway through to take a sip from a large glass of water. He mentioned that he was strongly in favour of maintaining the present break in the licensing hours in the afternoon. IDEAL PUBLIC-HOUSES.

“The public-house should be made an attractive place where no man should be ashamed to go with his wife and family,” said Sir Ernest Wild, who seconded the Bill. The restrictions governing the entertainments in publichouses were ridiculous, and he denounced tlie present system of teetotallers and supporters of the trade “whipping up” their supporters on the Bench whenever a licence was in question.

The rejection of the Bill was moved by Mr Broad, a former Congregational minister, who spoke of drink as the

“cancer in the community.” The supporters of the Bill were out for profits and not philanthropy, he declared. The trade had “seen the red light” and were talking steps to entrench themselves before they were overwhelmed by the advance of public opinion. Lady Asi or, seconding the rejection, said the trade might be quite honest in desiring to improve public-houses, but only because they hoped to sell more drink. Paraphrasing a cntgli remark ol American soldiers, she said, “The poor old drink trade ain’t what it used to he.” Now that women had the vote its influence was not what it was.

The brightest speech of the debate came from Mr Macquisten. He is opposed altogether to licensing the seller of drink. The consumer ought to be licensed —to be provdied with "a kind of passport with his portrait on it.’ If lie got drunk lie could be taken to the police station and have his passport confiscated for a month. “Hie man would never get the worse lor liquor again,” lie prophesied. it was the system of annually renewing licences that kept alive the temperance agitation. How would the Dissenting churches like local veto applied to them? (Laughter.) bitty per cent of them would disappear under tiiat system. (Laughter.) “Or suppose butchers had to apply for annual licences,” he continued. “Immediately vegetarian associations would spring into life with a propaganda prepared to prove that all the worst wars were due to butchers —(laughter)—that all warlike races liked roast, beef —(renewed laughter)—and that all the men who beat their wives ate steaks. (More laughter.) They would say, ‘lt you limit the number of butcher shops, you will not have these juicy steaks exciting unholy carnal lusts.’ '’ (Laughter). The Attorney General admitted that the Bill had some good points, but in the main he riddled it with criticism. He liked the proposal to allow elasticity in fixing the hours of opening to suit the needs of a locality, and also the proposal to assimilate the hours in clubs and public bouses ; but tbe supersession of tbe quarter sessions by a new court of appeal was unacceptable. The Government would leave the House free to vote on the Bill. Personally lie should vote against it.

After announcing that there could be no Licensing Bill this session and that the orders of the Control Board would he relaxed, Sir Gordon Hewnrt eoneluded with the following reflections concerning the hypothetical agreed Bill : —“AVe are agreed that you cannot have a policy of Prohibition. With such a being as man, in such a world as at present, and in such a climate as ours, the policy of Prohibition is not practicable, even it it were desirable, and in my opinion it is not desirable, even if it were practicable.” (Laughter.) Further, it was conceded that reform ought not to be undertaken in furtherance of any commercial interest. After years of controversy, could not they agree to bring all their efforts into the common stock, and to deal in a spirit Of fairness and honesty with this great fundamental question ? At the end Colonel Gretton said be would not press tbe Bill to a second reading, and it was allowed to be talked out.