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one of those houses, and it has never been brought before the notice of the Licensing Board. I personally would like to see your Excellency put the resolution before the Council that no woman should be allowed in any bar.
His EXCELLENCY-I want to know if it is really the unanimous wish of the unofficial members that the amendment read by the Attorney-General as being that pro- posed by the unofficials should be carried. It means that a man cannot take his wife into a room adjoining the bar-room of a
hotel.
go
HON. MR. KESWICK-I think some confusion has arisen owing to the Attorney- General's statement that we wore all agreed. The Licensing Board agreed to one thing. The unofficial members had a talk and came to a conclusion about another thing. They thought it would be better in a way that no women should be allowed to into bars at all, but that is not put forward as a regular proposition. This proposition read by the Attorney-General is actually an un- official commuunication from the Licensing Board to the Council and it wishes that no barmaids should be allowed at all. We unofficial members are entirely in agreement with that. So, with your Excellency's permission, let us take that point first. Then there is the further matter of whether women should be allowed in bars at all. That is a very big question--much bigger than the present-and is a thing which I would not like to be asked to vote on just now. If you could let us take the recom- mendation of the Licensing Board first and vote on that, you would have, I think, a unanimous vote in favour of it. But the question of women in a bar is another, too big to be decided in a few minutes.
HON, Mr. OSBORNE-I was present both at the meeting of the unofficial mem- bers and of the Licensing Board, and I think the decision arrived at by the Licens ing Board is preferable, that is to say, that no women will be allowed to serve or act in any capacity in a bar. That would not exclude a respectable bond Ads customer, but if a woman went into a bar ostensibly for the sake of purchasing a drink, but in reality to entertain sailors, soldiers and others, we should have to rely on the police
informing the Licensing Board so that that publican's licence should not be renewed. It seems to me that that is the only way out of the difficulty.
Hrs EXCELLENCY--And it seems to me it is an ample safeguard. It would not be worth a publican's while to allow a woman to remain in his bar at the risk of losing his licence.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I should like to explain my position in the matter. My hon. friend Mr. Follock brought me the amendment which I read out and which I somewhat amplified so as to make it clear. He gave me to understand that amendment was the unanimous opinion of unofficial members.
HON. ME. OSBORNE--It was.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL-There is a clear distinction between the opinion of the Licensing Board and that of the un- official members. If any such proposal is desirable I agree with the Licensing Board, and if it was found there was an abuse os the licensed premises further steps could be taken. The Licensing Authority at Home invariably refuse to renew licences where the police state there has been any abuse of the law.
HON. MR. OSBORNE Would instruc tions be given to the police to watch this point ?
CAPTAIN LYONS-They always have watched it.
Hon. Ma. OSBORNE But it is not illegal now.
CAPTAIN LYONS-It is, to have women of ill-fame on licensed premises.
HON. Mr. OSBORNE-There is nothing in the law now to prevent women going in and remaining for the evening,
HON. Mr. HEWETT-There are cases
where women have gone in and remained all night.
THE COLONIAL TREASURER--The police carry out that part of the Ordinance.
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HIS EXCELLENCY-I find that though HIS EXCELLENCY-Certainly, Then the amendment was reported to be the un- do I understand that the resolution proposed animous resolution of the unofficial members by the Licensing Board meets with your they are certainly not unanimous. The approval? amendment is that "No woman other than a licencoe shall be permitted to be in any bar, bar-room or any room opening out froni such bar-room in which liquor is sold in licensed premises."
HON. ME. KESWICK- May I ask, who formulated that and put it for- ward ?
HIS EXCELLENCY-It was proposed by the hon. member representing the Cham- ber of Commerce.
HON. ME. KESWICK-Yes.
from the Ordinance and the recommendation The definition of barmaid was eliminated
of the Licensing Board was approved,
On clause 22,
HON. MR. HEWETT No, I did not sell liquor before 8 o'clock in the morning, propose it.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL - An amendment was handed to me by my hon. friend Mr. Pollock, but I amplified it some- what
HON. MR. KESWICK-I think there
wust be some misapprehension, because I do not remember that it was put forward by the unofficial members as a resolution. They proposed that no barmaid should be allowed at all.
Hoy. Mr. HEWETT-They went a little further, and they generally agreed that it was advisable not to have any women at all in a bar. We did not put forward a resolu tion, but Mr. Pollock has done so, and he is not here to explain.
His EXCELLENCY
what its origin was?
Does it matter
Hoy. Ma. KESWICK--Very consider- ably, because we are saddled with a resolu- tion of which I know nothing.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I did not invent it, and I should be very sorry to bring forward any proposal which I regard as absolutely ridiculous. I see no necessity for such restrictions at all.
Hoy, MR. KESWICK-May I suggest that the resolution put forward in our name be ruled out altogether?
HON. MR HEWETT - Sub-section 1 states that no liquor shall be sold on licensed premises except between the hours of 8 in the morning and 12 at night. It has been brought to my notice that while hotels which pay very heavy licences are not allowed to
when sailors are ashore they find they can get beer earlier in the morning and have a drink or two before they go on board. The alteration from 6 to 8 o'clock in the morning made some time ago has hit these hotel people very hard, for the reason that the sailors on 24 hours' leave cannot buy a drink before 8 o'clock in a bar, whereas he can go and buy a whole bottle of liquor at 6 in the to a compradore, who pays a lower licence, morning, and rather than waste any of it he will drink it all and go on board com- paratively intoxicated. I don't know whether this is the part at which I should raise this question, but there is a good deal in it and it deserves the consideration of the Government.
HON. ME. OSBORNE-A compradore is not allowed to sell liquor to be drunk on the premises.
HON. MR. HEWETT-He opens at 6 in the morning and a man goes and buys a bottle and carts it off.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL-That does not arise here.
ought to be considered.
HON. MR. HEWETT-It is a point which
HIS EXCELLENCY-The point has been exhaustively discussed, but not in public.
HON. ME. OSBORNE-I would suggest that the prohibited hours be stated on every licence.