H—3B

REPORT

To His Excellency the Governor-General op the Dominion of New Zealand. May it please Your Excellency— We, the undersigned Commissioners, appointed by Warrant dated the 31st day of January, 1945, have the honour to submit to Your Excellency our report under the following terms of reference : To inquire into and report upon the working of the laws relating to the manufacture and importation, sale, and supply, whether by wholesale or retail, of intoxicating liquors, and the social and economic aspects of the question and proposals that may be made for amending the law in the public interest, and to make such proposals as you may yourselves think fit for amendment of the law ; and generally to inquire into and report upon such other matters arising out of the premises as may come to your notice in the course of your inquires and which you consider should be investigated in connection therewith, and upon any matters affecting the premises which you consider should be brought to the attention of the Government.

PREFACE The report of the Commission which we present is the report of the majority of your Commissioners —viz., David Stanley Smith (Chairman), Bella Fernie Logie, Percy Malthus, Edmund Colin Nigel Robinson, and James Patrick Ruth. We have divided our report into two books : Book I, comprising paragraphs 1 to 1521 inclusive, contains a statement of the facts concerning the liquor trade of New Zealand and the mischiefs and deficiencies connected with it. This book is lengthy, but, in our view, unavoidably so, because we are convinced that an objective account of the whole trade is the best foundation for considering and determining not only the main lines of control, but also the remedy for any particular ill. Book 11, comprising paragraphs 1522 to 1991 inclusive contains our recommendations for the remedies which we consider are required for the mischiefs and deficiencies revealed by the over-all picture of the facts in Book I. Book II relies on the detailed statement of those facts, but is, for practical purposes, complete in itself. For the purpose of dealing with the facts, we have divided the books into various parts. This division, while convenient for our work, does not purport to constitute a classification of material, which is mutually exclusive throughout. All Appendices have been attached to Book 11. In addition to the report of the Commission which we present in Books I and 11, Book 111 contains the separate reports of the minority of your Commissioners —viz., Percy Taylor Coyle, George William Hutchison, and Frederick George Young. Your Commissioner, George William Hutchison, has expressed (a) his general agreement with Book I of our report, which comprises paragraphs 1 to 1521 inclusive ; (b) his general agreement with that part of Book II of our report, which is comprised in paragraphs 1522 to 1563 inclusive ; and (c) his agreement with the remainder of our report in so far as it does not conflict with his own conclusions. Your Commissioner, Frederick George Young, has expressed his general agreement with paragraphs 1 to 1521 inclusive, of our report, subject to certain general observations which he has made. A Table of Contents, covering all the books, precedes the Introduction to Book I. An index, covering all the books, which is the work of our colleague Mr. E. C. N. Robinson, and of our secretary, has been added to Book 111. The letter " R " before a number {e.g., R. 2122) indicates a page in the bound volumes of the record of proceedings.

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