LIQUOR LAWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 July 1922, Page 5

LIQUOR LAWS.

SOME SUGGESTED CHANGES. REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE. PROPOSALS FOR BETTER CONTROL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The report of the Parliamentary Licensing Committee was laid on the table of the House to-day. The committee received requests from 42 persons to give evidence and heard them. The committee resolved that in the event of national prohibition not being carried at the coming licensing poll the Government be recommended to make amendments in the licensing law, of which the following are the principal:— No more licenses are required in New Zealand, but there should be a redistributiorf in accordance with the needs of the population. Flat rate licensing fees should be abolished and the fees based on the’ percentage of liquor sold. No premium or other valuable consideration shall be paid for the goodwill on the granting of a transfer or renewal of licensing leases. Anyone receiving such payment shall be liable to a fine of £5OO, and on the second offence the license for the house shall be cancelled. The money so paid shall be recoverable by law. If prohibition he not carried, the people of the Rohe Potae shall be given an opportunity of voting license or nolicense. There shall be more effective inspection of liquor and licensed premises, and more ample penalties for adulteration. Special inspectors should be appointed for the purpose. To make it possible for licensees to provide additional accommodation without loss, whenever prohibition is carried it should not come into force until feear years after the poll. Clubs should be allowed to instal the locker system and extend their hours on special occasions, providing the consumption of liquor is confined *to one room. Restaurants should be put on the same footing as public hotels in regard to the consumption of liquor at social gatherings if a permit is obtained from the police. Barmen should be licensed, and convictions endorsed on Um license, the latter to be cancelled after three convictions. It shall be illegal to serve women in a bar to which the public have access, or any room opening on such bar.

The enrolment of electors shall be compulsory. If national prohibition is Carried it shall he made clear that there is no restriction on the making of liquor containing not more than three per cent, alcohol for home consumption. Mr. F. F. Hockly (Rotorua) brought down the report, which he read. Tn moving that the report lie on the table and he printed, he said it had been predicted that the proceedings of the committee- would resemble Donnvbrook. but as a matter cf fact the committee worked together :.icst reasonably. and the discussions were carried out with dignity and decorum. He enumerated a number of proposals which the committee rejected and justified the proposal that if prohibition was not carried the people of Rohe Potae be given an opportunity of voting license or no-license, on the ground that the circumstances had completely changed since the natives requested liquor to be prohibited, and it was felt modern conditions warranted this opportunity being given to the people now living in the King Country. The debate on the report was adjourned until Wednesday next.