WOMEN DRINKERS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9041, 6 March 1908, Page 7

WOMEN DRINKERS.

JI. POLICE vQEEICER'S REPORT,

DEPLORABLESTATE OF THINGS

The following is the full text of :tha report to and .discussion on the subject of women drinkers by the Auckland Lioensing Committee, to which we made reference in our leadnig columns yesterday : Sub-Inspector Gordon: "I wish to bring under the notice of ,the Licensing Committee a matter which has come to us in the nature rof a surprise, i.e., the drinking habit amongst females at some of our suburban hotels. These .females nre mostly well-dressed, respectable women, and they are not infrequently accompanied by .young girls and children. Taking a case at random from the reports —by no means the worst one of the seven hotels visited in one night—no less than 55 women, " who had five children with them, were found drinking. In some of ihe hotels rooms are specially set apart '' marked' For ladies only.' Of course, there is nothing to prevent women from going to hotels and drinking there any more than there is to prevent men, but it would be very much to be regretted if it were to be found that drinking amongst women was on the increase. I mention the matter in the hope that the Committee may be able .to suggest some means to prevent this evil from spreading." The Chairman, Mr P. E. Cheal, said that the Sub-Inspector was to be commended for taking this action. 4lt was their duty to see that the were .well conducted, and to see such ,a list of women and children frequenting hotels was a deplorable thing for the city. Mr Aicldn asked if the police could suggest anything. Sub - Inspector Gordon: Well, everyone knows that when a woman drinks she drinks in secret. She does not want the men in the house to see her. If these private bars for women were .only swept away it would be an excellent thing. These rooms are purely for women drinkers. The sergeants visiting the hotel 3 for the purpose of preparing the quarterly reports were instructed to inquire into the matter, and 1 have been verv much struck with their reports. I have seen something of it, and it has occurred to me that either our customs are changing a great deal or 1 had not been quite so wideawake in years gone by as now, but I don't think so. The custom is creeping in, and I have not observed it till recently. We have asked the sergeants to make a note of the circumstances in their reports, and there is considerable variation. In one night we got as far as 81 women in eight hotels. This dues not represent the whole night's drinking, b«t merely the two or" three minutes that the sergeants would be in the hotels. We did not know to what extent the evil had grown, and it came as a shck. One day we found 66 women and .12 children; that gives one a very severe and unpleasant shock." Mr Cheal: "Would it strengthen the hands of the police if we instructed the police to visit the hotels and report?" The Sub-Inspector: "Yes, these women would then probably keep out of the road, as they dread publicity. In the city it is not so bad." Mr Rosser,: "Did you find any particular class affected?" The Sub-Inspector: "No, we have found them in all classes. We made out a table of the daily visits. On Monday there were none; on Tuesday, 32 in six hotels; Wednesday, 57 and three children in nine; on Thursday, 95 women and two children in six; on Friday, 42 women and 7 children in four: and on Saturday an aggregate of 728' women i.nr.l 24 children in sixteen hotels." Mr Rosser: "I do not know that we can do anything that'will be effective."

The Sub-Inspector: "Well, legislation may be passed. The House has already passed legislation to prevent Native women being served, and, perhaps, sometning similar may be done, it will be a fearful curse if the women of the nation take to drink. Wasted homes and neglected children will he the inevitable outcome. The publicity given to the matter may have some effect." Mr Aickin:'" Drawing public attention to the matter will have a great moral effect, and the publication of the report must also have a good effect." Mr A. Roiser moved, and it was resolved, that the Sub-Inspector he thanked for his report, and that the police be asked to keep the matter under their supervision with a view to reporting at the annual meeting.