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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Council then went into Committee to On consider the Bill clause by clause. clause 4.
"No clause 22 is to insert the words, woman other than a licencee shall be per- mitted to be in a bar-room or in any room directly opening out of such bar-room in HON. MR. KESWICK asked-What is which liquor is sold in the licensed premises."
a dollar?
THE COLONIAL TREASURER Both Hongkong and Mexican dollars are legal tender.
HIS EXCELLENCY--The dollars men- tioned must be the legal tender currency of the Colony.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I will communicate with the Chief Justice, who is
now engaged in a revision of the Ordinance, and if necessary I will insert a provision in the Interpretation Ordinance.
On Council resuming,
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL reported that the Bill had passed through Committee with slight amendments, and moved that it be read a third time.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded, and tho Bill was read a third time and passed.
Liquors Consolidation Ordinance
HON. MR. HEWETT - The unofficial members had a meeting about ten days ago, when the question was very carefully brash- ed out, and the conclusion we came to was that it was inadvisable to have any w men
near the bar at all, either the wife of the licenree, or his daughters or nieces. It was only when the licencee happened to be a woman that she alone should be allowed to go into the bar. There are cases where
licences are held by women, and they must be allowed to look after their own interests. The hon. senior unofficial member has re- minded we that no women at all, not except- ing the wife of a licencee or a partner, are allowed in the bar.
THE COLONIAL TREASURER--There is only one licencee.
HON. MR. HEWETT-There is a case where a man holds the licence and half the business is owned by another man, and the wives of both men serve in the bar.
THE COLONIAL TREASURER - partner is not a licencee.
The
HON. MR. KESWICK-What we want
now.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I nove that the Council now resume the Committee stage on this Bill. In the second clause I have to suggest that the definition of the to get at is, shall any women be allowed in hotel-keeper's adjunct licence be somewhat the bar? At present I understand one modified. The words at the end do not au-
woman is the licencee of premises and is thorise the keeping of a bar, but it has conducting them very well. That is a mat been considered desirable to amend those ter which does not affect the question before words to read "does not authorise the keep-us
What we unofficial members ing of a public bar." The Government has would like to get at is, that no woman should matters under consideration by which it be employed in a bar in any way whatever. may be desirable to allow hotel-keepers with adjunct licences to have a private bar. The rext definition is that of barmaid, which appears to have been a source of considerable trouble to all of us; not only to the Council, bat to the Licensing Board and the unoffi- cial members. I believe a solution has been arrived at by the unofficial members of the Council, and I understand the Licensing Board have come to a common agreement. It is right that I should mention it at this stage. We propose to eliminate the word barmaids in order to meet proposals which I understand are generally agreed to by the unofficial members. The proposal in
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Hrs EXCELLENCY-I desire to point out to the unofficial members that the terms of this definition go very much beyond the limitation proposed by the member who has first spoken. It is not a question of allow ing women to serve in a bar. That point is already covered, but this amendment will prohibit a woman from entering a bar at all even to purchase a pint of beer. If that is the opinion of the unofficial members as ré presenting the community of this Colony, the Government will not oppose it, but it is going very much further than has been done in England or elsewhere.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
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HON. MR. HEWETT-I think the HON. MR. KESWICK-I take the view unofficial members agreed that it was of my hou. friend. inadvisable that any woman should be allowed to go into a bar to purchase Hon. Mr. OSBORNE-The Licensing liquor.
Board considered the question and thought it would be a bardship on some people in THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL That the Colony if they could not take their was not the unanimous wish of the Licens-wires into ing Board. The Board divided on the point. Hence the reason for the decision of the a respectable public-house. Some members did not wish to allow women to go into a public-house to purchase liquor, namely, that no woman should be permitted Licensing Board being worded in that way, while others were of the opinion that they to serve in any capacity in a bar.
should be allowed in. No recommendation was made on the point.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL--I am in
HON. MR. HEWETT-The Attorney- General is apparently under a misapprehen- THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL-My bon.sion. There is no agreement between the friend's communication to the Government unofficial members and the Licensing Board. was as follows:-I am directed to report that the Board has considered the question of the employment of women in public bars error.
and are of opinion that, the licences excepted, no woman, whether belong- ing to the licencee's family or not, should be permitted to serve or act in any capacity in the bar-room or in any room directly open-could not take his wife into a respectable ing out of a bar-room.
HON. ME. KESWICK-That is what the unofficial members had in view; also, that no woman should be allowed to serve in a bar.
HIS EXCELLENCY-As I pointed out just now, the resolution of the Licensing Board does not prohibit the purchase of liquor by women.
HON. MA. KESWICK-We do not propose that. We are dealing just now with a deinition of barmaid.
His EXCELLENCY-The definition of barmaid will disappear. The amending clause as proposed by the unofficials and read by the Hon. Attorney-General will prohibit women other than the licences being permitted in any bar or in any room opening out of such bar. In other words, a woman may not enter a hotel to purchase liquor.
HON. Mr. OSBORNE-The decision of the unofficial members was that no woman should be allowed in a bar at all, even as a purchaser, because they feared that some women might go there, buy a drink, and emain all the evening for the purpose of ntertaining the men,
HON. MR. OSBORNE-I think the Licensing Board's decision is a better one. It would be a distinct hardship if a man
public-house. In the wording of the Board's suggestion it says that no woman will be permitted to serve in any capacity in a bar. That is to say, she could not go in, buy a drink and remain the whole of the evening for the purpose of entertaining men.
HON. MR. HEWETT—A member of the
demi-monde might go in to one of these houses, buy a whisky aud soda, and, as pointed out, she might stop there the whole of the evening.
HIS EXCELLENCY-If the intention of the legislature is made perfectly clear, I cannot conceive that a publican who allowed his licence renewed. The wording makes a women to remain in his bar would have
it perfectly clear that the presence of women in or about a bar is not desired. If a woman who goes in to purchase remains aud is found out I should say that the Licensing Bourd would not renew the licence.
HON. MR. OSBORNE-The Licensing Board has no means of knowing except through the police.
HIS EXCELLENCY-That should be very effective information.
HON. MR. HEWETT-There is a case where several women have been regularly in
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