LICENSING QUESTION

Hokitika Guardian, 1 October 1929, Page 2

LICENSING QUESTION

ROYAL COMMISSION TO ENQUIRE

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, September 28

- The constitution of. the Royal Commission to enquire into the licensing question will now be/completed. It includes a representaitiye of all the chief interests concerned, such as temperance organisations, licensing and brewing, licensing justices, co-operative and trade union movements, Teachers’ Union, social workers, and public. The terms of reference are to enquire into the working of laws relating to tin supply and sale of intoxicating liquor and iiito the social and economic aspects of the question, and to examine and report upon the proposals that may be made for amending the law in England and'Wales in. the puolic interest.

Tiie names of ten of the twenty members of the Commission have been published so far. They are:—Mr Arthur Jenkins (agent, South Wales Miners’ Federation), Mr A. H. Findley (general secretary, United Pattern-Makers’ Association!, the Rev Henry Carter (secretary, Temperance' Council of the Christian Chutches), Mr Arthur Sherwell (late M.P. for Huddersfield and secretary of the Temperance .Legislation League), Mr Skurray, (president, Brewers’ Society), Mr John Morgan (chairman, National Consultative Council oif Retail Liquor Trade, and Licensed Victuallers’ Defence League of England and Wales), Sir Edwin Stockton (an ex-Lord Mayor of Manchester), MV B. T. Hnllf- secretary, Club and - Institute Union), . Mr G. Bryson (chairman, Birmingham Licensing Bench) and Mrs E. Barton, J.P. secretary, Co-operative Women's Guild),

Lord Am’dree, formerly Sir William Mackenzie, K.C., will be the chairman. A notable fact is that the Government do not intend to appoint any M.P.’s. It will he left to the Commission to decide whether it will sit in public of in private, and whether it will go *on tour to America to study Prohibition, on the spot. It is expected that the Commission will begin work before the end' of October. It may sit (for three years. * The “Daily Express” lobby correspondent wrote: It is understood that stlie Commission will make a tour, of the country in order to study the problem as it effects the industrial and agricultural areas.; Evidence will be heard from the people who can speak with authority on local option, and on experiments. undeijtftken, in recent years on public house reform.