CLOSING HOURS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10290, 27 May 1919, Page 6

CLOSING HOURS

To the Editor "N.Z. Times.”

Sir,—ln the multitude of problems whicn coiuronts uie oramary man in the street tnere is one ivnieii is of more tliau ordinary interest—me question as to whether we sliouid continue to adopt '■wartime" hours or resume old time hauitsl ~ , , jnero are many problems to solve—they may be resolved into three: (I) 'me ti o’clock closing has meant that every muu wuo driuus goes irom ms work to have a drink, and either forgoes his meal or is late for it. dh If a man is a ‘'worker" (say from 9 to 5) ho cannot get a' drink before no starts work, and lias only one hurried hour to get it atterwards! f 3) If a man pi moderate drinker, say) cannot, within his working hours, get his drink or his bottle to take home), he—if he wants it very badly—goes to any of the thirty or forty sly-grog shops in the city. Would it not be bettor to restore the 10 o clock i’.eaiise.- at least we could go and have our meals first, and our convivial drink afterwards „ I care nothing for the Trade —but loss still for the Prohibitionist—for whilst the former will extract as much as he can from my pocket before he gives mo a drink, the latter will not give mo a drink at all. Who snail say which is right? The first miracle, I believe, told us of the turning of water into wine at the marriage fe a st of Cana—the Prohibitionists allege that alcohol is neither medicine nor food—l, •as an individualist, may say that, under certain circumstances, both may be right, but that, as a man who understands the difference between three words ("use," "abuse," "disuse ). I feel that a newspaper correspondence defining the feelings of your readers may bo useful.