'Open Go'

Fiji Plans 'Open Go' On Drink

From a Suva Correspondent Liquor control is always a thorny problem, fraught with danger for the politician, “the meat in the sand wich” as it were between the fires of breweries and publicans on the one hand, and the adherents of prohibition on the other. The suggestion of liquor reform is often enough to make a wary Government wash its hands of the whole thing and let a Royal Commission, or some such body, make an inquiry.

NATURALLY reports take a long time to come to hand for effective action. And it is amazing to see what happens to the reports as warring anti and pro liquor factions get to work on the politicians as soon as legislation is in the offing.

The Fiji Government in June, 1960, set up a committee to make an exhaustive probe into the liquor laws of the Colony. Twelve months later the committee has now come to light with a monumental report which, if adopted, will go a long way to mak ing the Fiji liquor laws as modern as those of any other country in the Commonwealth.

But, a note of warning—the Gov ernment still has to draw up legisla tion based on the report, and then the members of the Legislative Council will have a chance to emasculate it in much the same way as Parliaments overseas have emasculated reports from Royal Com missions on exactly the same sub ject. (Continued on p. 136)

The committee, which was made up of 11 members, represented each of the major races (Fijian, European and Indian), and within each racial group various sections of the com munity were represented.

The last committee which dealt with a liquor problem in Fiji sat in 1957 and its report was instrumental in allowing Fijian and Indian males to drink beer. Previously they could procure a drink of beer only on pro duction of a permit. Except in very few instances, spirits were “out”.

The removal of the restrictions applied to beer only—Fijians and Indians still require a permit for anything stronger.

The principal conclusions and recommendations of the 1960-61 :ommittee are: • Race restrictions on consump tion of spirits and wines to be re moved—anybody can drink anything; • Women to have the same right

to drink as men, except in a public bar; • The minimum age for drinking to remain at 18; • Hotel opening and closing hours to be 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. respectively (excluding Sundays); 9 Hotels to be permitted to supply liquor with substantial meals till 11 p.m. on week days; • Off-licences to replace wholesale licences—the two-gallon minimum purchase to go; 9 Restaurant licences proposed; • Minor changes for tightening up control of clubs; • Methylated spirits not to be further denatured, but a tighter control to be provided for import and sales; • The Government to explore the possibility of reducing strength of beer on sale in the Colony.

The committee was hopelessly divided on the question of a break in drinking hours and threw the question back in the Government’s lap.

Oddly enough, early in 1960, the Government made an attempt, through legislation, to reduce hotel hours, and also bring in an after noon break. The measure reached the second reading stage in the Legislative Council but bogged down and was adjourned pending the ap pointment of this committee.

The committee was not wholly unanimous on the question of off-licences. Four members con sidered that consumption of liquor would increase if single bottles could be bought at stores.

But the majority considered that those who could not afford to buy two gallons of liquor at any one time were compelled to buy at higher prices from hotels. The two-gallon mini mum induced some persons to buy that quantity, whereas they might otherwise buy less; and they (the majority of the committee) were not satisfied that off-licences would cause serious economic losses to the hotels.

As far as restaurant licences were concerned, the committee considered they should be few and limited to high-class restaurants which had suit able facilities.

Club licences came under fire from the United Licensed Victuallers’ As sociation. The hoteliers asked that: • The licensing of clubs be con trolled by a licensing court, with applications for, and annual renewals of, licences advertised and heard in open court; • Clubs be prohibited from selling liquor for consumption off club premises; • Clubs be subject to the same

police supervision as other licen premises, the present necessity fo search warrant being abolished.

A publican who was not a mr ber of the ULYA asked for © more stringent control.

The committee gave the UU short shift and said plainly that conduct of public bars had led peo; to form clubs where they could en a glass of beer in relative comr and in clean surroundings.

The strength of the local beer another thorny problem. For ample, an 8 oz glass of Australian Fiji beer contains about the ss amount of alcohol as a hotel “t* of whisky or gin and is chea]j The committee was attracted to idea of weaker beer, provided local industry was protected in so ways from competition from the h:j strength product.

But local consumers, who w used to the Australian and Fiji b< might be reluctant to accept a wess product.

“A long-term view needs to taken and it should be poss< ultimately to habituate the drinbl population to beer of the strem popular in New Zealand and United Kingdom,” the committee ported.

Carlton Brewery (Fiji) I resisted the suggestion that the strem of beer be reduced, and one of tl reasons was that in the tropt climate of Fiji the present alcoc content must be maintained to Id the beer in good condition. T' said that a small drop in alcoc content reduced the life of dram beer considerably.

But other evidence left the co mittee unconvinced that the climate ruled out the possibility l manufacturing lower-strength bt< They suggested that the Governim obtain independent expert advice fn overseas.

On the statistical side, the co mittee received submissions from hotel trade, churches, clubs, Gov© ment officials including the Colon Secretary, Mr. P. D. Macdonald, the Commissioner of Police, Mr.

H. T. Beaumont, and a couple magistrates, associations, solicit! and private individuals.

Those who comprised the cm mittee were Mr. C, S. Reay (chsj man), the Rev. S. G. C. Cowll Adi Laisa Ganilau, Dr. G.

Hemming, Mr. Justice (Solicitor-General), Mr. A. D. Lea Mr. G. Mishra, Mr. R. D. Pau Sister L. C. Ram Samuj, J. B. Taka Ratu Julian Toganivalu and Mr. a Wendt.