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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
think this objection would have great force. To attempt to prohibit entirely by law the acceptance of hits in hotels (and we have only hotels to deal with) would in my opinion be merely vexatious, but is a very different matter in the case of chits in bars. Even if there are
I cannot
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either necessary or de. think this a sound ar
It is one that might be used to b
up practi cally every abus which has ever existed. I think that in Hongkong we are rather proud of being well up to date in most things. Reform is in the air we breathe,
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has
licensed premises where there is practi- but apparently not in the chits we drink. cally no loss on such chits that is not a reason for uot legislating, Some licensed In regard to the system of chits we are We premises incur very large losses on account sadly behind the rest of the world. of chits.
I do not think it is generally practically go back to the old village inu known what those losses are. I have here where the inhabitants had their score a bag containing chits amounting tas chalked up on the tap-room door. I sup about $3,000 all signed at one hotel and pose the reason which would be pleaded practically irrecoverable. Section 24 of is Olo Custom." Olo custom the principal Ordinance prohibits the often much to recommend it as being pledging of property, in payment of based to a great extent on common-sense, Liquor, but I confess that I can see little but it also sometimes gives its tacit con- difference between handing one's coal
sent tor undesirable things, and none across the bar and drinking its value, and pledging one's credit in return for liquor demoralising to my mind than the by means of chits, which there is no inten-supply of liquor to the public in return tion of redeeming.
for scraps of paper, for that, as I have given tangible proof, is what these chits often are.
A further objection that has been put forward is that the staff will have to be increased in order to check the money. received in lieu of chits, or that higher salarios will have to be paid to all servants employed in the hotel, who under the provisions of the bill would be in position of receiving cash payments. The only doduction I can make from this objection is that in the bars referred to no money has hitherto been taken, and that is of course not the case. Under th bill more cash will he received thanger can arise, as the onus of proving that hitherto, but at the same time the employés who have been in the habit of receiving cash in some cases and chits in others will be freed from what must be occasionally the perplexing problem of whether to accept or refuse a chit. Even in the case of a well-known customer whose credit has never been questioned an unfortunate crisis may alter the posi- tion, and while his thirst may contime his credit will cease. The bill will relieve the licensee of the unpleasant. task of informing his customer that his chits are no longer acceptable. Backed by this law he will have the same reply to all and there will be no invidious distinctions. All licensed premises will be on the same footing, and there will be no temptation for a licensee to give credit where he is in doubt in order to prevent a customer going elsewhere. This is one of the chief reasons why in my opinion this bill should be welcomed by those whom it will chietly
Lastly, a fear has been expressed that the penal provisions in the bill will plac the licensee in jeopardy through no fault of his, but it is right that I should point out that sing, this objection was made the Clause in the bill as published in the Gazette to which exception was taken has been omitted. Unless there is a deliberat, ` attempt to evade the law no possible dan-
affect.
Another representation that has been made is that as chits have been taken for a great number of years no change is
the purchaser of liquor in a bar, lounge. kiosk, buffet or pagoda is a guest in an hotel will be on such purchaser. Cash will always be demanded where the bar attend- ant is in any doubt, and the purchaser will have to give the number of his room or, furnish some other evidence that he resides in the hotel. The objection to clause 6 in the bill as published was a valid one, but the omission of the clause has removed the objection.
The bill is designed to bring the method of retailing liquor in public bars in Hong- kong into line with that in force in every civilised country in the world. It may not make a single person sober who is by nature a drunkard, but it may restris the number of casual drinks which a per- son is in the habit of taking between meals. It will also, I hope, have the effect of preventing such cases as have come to the notice of the Government, where per- sons addicted to drinking to excess, with no money but an abundant thirst, have been able to obtain liquor in return for
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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
We
98
years.
chits at licensed premises in Hongkong, We have all heard what has been said by with the result that they have lost their my, hon. friend the Colonial Secretary positions and their self-respect, their and have been duly impressed by the pro- friends have had to pay the chits, and duction of the bag of chits, which for all the persons concerned have had to be sent Although he has done his best to evade
50 know might represent away from the Colony at further expense: the point, it seems to me there can be no The evil is notorious. You cannot deal with
question that the real object of this Bill the selling of liquor to the
is to restrict the drinking of alcoholic public as you would with the selling liquor in the Colony, and the reason for of biscuits. The civilised world it that the Government are of opinion has
found this out,
as I have that there is excessive drinking at the already remarked, and taken measures public bars, which I think number about. accordingly. The consumption of liquor seven. I do not claim to be an expert in with meals is an entirely innocuous and this matter or an habitue of the bars, but common practice, and if it suits the from all I can gather I do not think the management of licensed premises to allow evil is in any way sufficiently serious to credit for liquor sold in such circum-
warrant legislation, nor do I think, if it stances it is no concern of the Govern- object in view. It would merely drive were, that this Bill would achieve the ment, but where the privilege of selling those black sheep who don't like paying liquor by retail to the public for con- cash to some of the clubs, where they can sumption at all hours and in all circum-conceivably get more comfortably intoxi- stances is conceded it is both reasonable cated than they could ever hope to do and right that payment in cash should be at a public hotel, the proprietor of which insisted on.
In a law of general applica always has his licence to think of. My tion it is impossible to distinguish be
honourable friend the Colonial Secretary tween one person and another.The bill has spoken of reform. Well, Sir, without removes an obvious flaw in the principal it is admitted that from being in the old unduly whitewashing the Colony, I fancy Ordinance, and, as I have endeavoured to days one of the wettest spots in the Far point out. while putting a stop to a East, we have deservedly earned the system liable to grave abuse, inflicts no reputation of being one of the driest. If practical inconvenience or hardship. we have accomplished that, Sir, without legislation is it not better to leave us alone rather than introduce a veritable pin-prick like this bill? Owing to our currency, its various denominations, the germ-laden condition of a good deal of it, and the very great difficulty and expense entailed in supervising the collection of actual cash, the chit system is a venience to 99 per cent. of the European population, although it may be a curse interests of high morality you may say to the remaining 1 per cent. In the the 99 per cent. should suffer inconveni ence, but I fear there would be strenuous objection on their part. Besides, Sir, it seems to me. if the Government really think intemperance is undermining the constitution of the Colony, the straight- forward way of tackling the problem would be by partial or total prohibition of the import of alcoholic liquors, when side those of the public who rely on a Government revenues would suffer along- little stimulant in our somewhat enervat- ing climate.
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I have little more to add. We have been asked for the reasons why this bill has been troduced as well as for the objects, and have given them, but if we had been asked for the reasons why such a bill had been introduced years ago I per- sonally would not have been ready with a satisfactory answer except, perhaps, to murmur "olo custom,' However, the omission has at last been rectified and I make bold to say that there is not a single manager of licensed premises in this Colony who will not welcome the change brought about by this law. I go further, and I say that there is not a single direc- tor of any hotel in the Colony which possesses a publican's license who does not in his heart know that this bill will real ly serve a useful purpose, and that the possible loss--the very temporary diminu- tion in the receipts-which may be caused will be more than counterbalanced by the improvement in the general morale and self-respect of those who make use of his premises. I beg to second the motion.
HON. MR. S. H. DODWELL-Sir, I rise to oppose the second reading of this Bill.
con-
past more then any other was responsible The practice which in the for some of our young men taking the wrong turning was the system in vogue with the various firms of allowing their employés to run up accounts with their
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