LIQUOR AT BANQUETS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 216, 1 December 1927, Page 18

LIQUOR AT BANQUETS

AMENDMENT INCLUDED IN LICENSING BILL CHARTERED CLUBS ALSO (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. r £ 1 HE modification of the sale of liquor restriction, to enable licensees of hotels to serve liquor for banquets under permit from the police until 10 p.m., which is provided in the Licensing Amendment Bill now before Parliament, will be extended to chartered clubs if the Bill becomes law. When the House was considering this clause of the Bill this evening in the committee stage, Mr. T. M. Wilford, Hutt, asked that the extension for hotels should also be granted to chartered clubs and was supported by Mr. W. A. Veitch, Wanganui, and Mr. P. N. Bartram, Grey Lynn, who pointed out that such clubs as the working men’s clubs, which did not have a regular dining room as required by the Act, were under disability, as they had to hire a hall and take their liquor there. Mr. Wiltord moved an amendment to include chartered clubs in the clause, pointing out, however, that it would not apply to clubs not having a proper dining room. RESTAURANTS, TOO? Mr. W. D. Lysnar, Gisborne, suggested that restaurants also should be granted the right to provide liquor for banquets under a permit, under the same terms and conditions as other social gatherings in halls. Mr. H. S. S. Kyle, Riccarton: What about pie-carts?. Mr. Lysnar also wanted the hours forbanquets still further extended. “Ten o’clock is too early,” he said, “especially now that we have summer time. I have never in my life attended a banquet that was over at 10 o’clock. Ten-thirty would be reasonable, hut II o’clock would be still better.” It was the opinion of Mr. J. A. Lee, Auckland East, that the restrictions placed upon the consumption of liquor at banquets should not be too severe. “If those present were asked to drink the health of the guest of the evening i in water.” he said, "they would not be able to do justice to ‘For He’s a Tolly I Good Fellow’ afterwards.” Mr. V. H. Potter, Roskill, had pre- | viously expressed disapproval of the I clause and Mr. Lee poked fun at him Iby saying that even Mr. Potter would j agree that if he had to drink eight or ten toasts In cold water he would be i compelled to stagger home at the end iof the evening severely handicapped | by rheumatics. TEN O’CLOCK LIMIT j Mr. Coates said that he could not accept Mr. Lysnar’s suggestion for an extension of the hours, but he would consider the question of the inclusion of restaurants if they were not already provided for. He was prepared to accept Mr. Wilford’s amendment to include chartered clubs. The amendment was carried without dissent but afterwards Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, derided “going through all this business in a sort of serio-comic way, when everybody knew that it was not going on .the statute book.’-