THE LICENSING BILL.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1926, Page 4

THE LICENSING BILL.

PARTICULARS OF MEASURE. WELLINGTON, Aug. 24. The Licensing Bill provides that simultaneously with the next licensing poll there shall be submitted for determination of the electors the questions whether the licensing poll shall he taken simultaneously with the election of members or at alternate general elections. The ballot paper is to he separate from the licensing ballot, and a bare majority of votes polled shall decide the issue. Provision is made, if desired, for a Alagisterial recount within jseven days after the publication of the result. All important qualifying clause is that which states that if at any general election a licensing poll would not Ln.,n Lnoi, +nl.'Oll +llO+ Aof llTwl lint.

been passed (l>v reason of Parliament being dissolved at an unusual time) that general election shall not he taken into account in determining at what general elections a licensing poll shall bo taken. NATIONAL RESTORATION. A long clause describes the procedure which wi.‘ll ho followed in the event of prohibition being carried. It states that simultaneously with the first general election at which a licensing poll would have been taken if national prohibition had not been carried, there shall ho submitted to the determination of the electors the questions whether national prohibition shall continue or, as an alternative, whether 'licenses to sell intoxicating liquor shall he restored in New Zealand. If more that one-half of the valid votes recorded is in favour of restoration, then it. shall he deemed carried, and wiM come into operation three months after the date of the election at which the poll was taken, and licensing committees will he constituted to grant licenses. “The number of publicans’ licenses so granted shall not exceed one for every complete 500 electors of the district at the date of the coming into force of the determination in favour of restoration, and shall not he (ess (if a sufficient number of licenses is applied for) than one for every complete 1001) electors of the district at tile date aforesaid,” The commit tee in allocating licenses, will give preference to former licensees. WHERE BOUNDARIES CHANGE. Where through operation of the Electoral Boundary Commission licensed premises come into a no-license area, bin subsequently through a similar cause revert to a. license area, the Bill provides that the electors of the whole electorate will he entitled to vote oil the issue of a. new license to tile premises concerned, and for that purposes to increase the number of licenses in the district. The proposal would be deemed carried on a. bare majority. GENERAL POINTS^ Another clause provides that all irregular voting paper is not to lie informal if the intention of the voter is cleanly indicated. The principal Act is not to apply to registered chemists who sell fermented liquors exclusively For medicinr;! purposes in accordance with regulations made by the Governor-General. Bights of chemists in no license areas are preserved. The Bill provides a definition of “private bar” as any bar other than a public bar and includes any portion of licensed premises used principally or exclusively for the sale of intoxicants. Every publican's license jshn.il authorise the. use of one public bar and, within the discretion of the Licensing Committee, one or more private bars, the mnnlier of the latter to he specified in the license. Sales from other than specified bars will constitute an offence. Tn addition to the tees prescribed in the main Act, there slm.il he paid an additional £lO annually for each private bar authorised. This will he credited to the Consolidated revenue. A. publican’s license shall not be granted to premises not already licensed if situated in a borough having a population of more than 10,000 unless the premises contain public accommodation to the extent of at least twenty rooms in addition to those required hv tlie ilicenseo and staff. Licensed premises may also be required to provide sufficient hot water services to the bars, and renewal of a license may he subject to the provision of adequate sanitary accommodation for guests. The obligation of the license-holder to preserve order on his premises is speeficnlly extended to the holder of a New Zealand wine license. In conjunction with the issue of conditional licenses, provision is made for seven days’ notice of an application,

ami it will -also be competent for an inspector of police to object to the issue of such license or a. wholesale license. In all these cases a police report must bo considered by tbo Licensing Committee. The provisions for transfer of retail licenses wil'd apply also to wholesale licenses.

EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN. The provision of the main Art in relation to the employment ot women other than registered barmaids in hotel bars is redrafted to read: “A wife, daughter, mother or sister of a licensee, or any woman bona fide employed on the premises, with the approval for the purpose of this sub-section of the Licensing Committee, as the housekeeper of a licensee who is an unmarried man or widower.”

The law relating to the unlawful sale of liquor is strengthened by including in the definition of the., offence, of .selling or exposing the keeping of such liquor for sale. Every person who sells or supplies

liquor to a person under twenty-one years of age is Habile to a fine of £lO, though it. will be lawful for a parent or guardian or person acting under their authority (not being a licenseholder) to supply intoxicants to a young person who is a bona fide guestor llodger on licensed premises. In licensing offences the Court is given power to order production of the license for endorsement. The liability of a licensee for offences committed by liis servants is to be definite unless he proves that it was committed without his knowledge or connivance, and that he took all reasonable measures by personal supervision or otherwise to prevent, the commission of the offence.

The provisions cf the licensing law relating to prohibition of the supply of liquor to natives in proclaimed areas are extended to cover Polynesians, and the terms of the law relating to delivery of liquor in No-license areas will' apply to these proclaimed areas.

j Tlio register of barmaids is to be transferred from the Secretary of Labour to the Commissioner of Police, and | tho Bill provides a continuing penalty I of £lO per day for women who illegally servo in tho capacity of barmaids. | Licensees will be required to keep a register book containing the names and ' addresses of all lodgers, and any lodger l or other person who enters false par- ’ ticufars will he liable to a fine of £lO. The register is to be open to inspection by any inspector of licensed premises.