UNREGISTERED BARMAIDS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 303, 19 June 1912, Page 4

UNREGISTERED BARMAIDS

A FLAW m THE ACT. By Telegraph —Presa Association. Ohristchnrch, Monday. From inquiries made this morning by an Evening News representative it appears that a considerable number of unregistered barmaids are employed in Christchuroh. This is the result of the flaw in the Licensing Act which enables a hotel-keeper to employ an unregistered girl in any bar provided that it does not open directly on to the street, a description that applies practically to all private bars. The registered girls are up in arms about the proceedings. "We had to go through an involved and humiliating process and to face a great deal of undesirable publicity in order to get registered," said one of them this morning, "and these other girls are allowed to escape scot free." Another took the view that the system would tend to lower wages. "We would like to know whether the flaw in the Act is to be amended," she added. A prominent hotel-keeper said that he had tried a barman in his private bar. with the result that the trade fell away enormously. He held thaf a girl was best in a private bar anyhow, as she could deal with the men better. In the public bars, which were frequented by a rougher class, it was necessary to have barmen who could use physical force if necessary.