Ease Liquor

Bsip Plans To

Laws

From a Correspondent A bill to enable Solomon Is landers to drink beer without restriction will be introduced into the BSIP Legislative Council in December.

THE new bill will retain the present ban on the drinking of wines and spirits.

It is unlikely that the bill will be defeated, as the Government has a majority in the Council, but the measure will be sure to receive some criticism.

Most people give the Administra tion credit for its boldness in daring to introduce drink legislation so soon after the controversial Gaming and Lotteries Bill, which has virtually given the Melanesians an open go at gambling (see “Monte Carlo of the Pacific”, PIM, Sept., p. 17).

The present liquor situation in the BSIP is that natives may drink beer only, and then only with a permit issued by a District Commissioner.

To qualify for a permit, a native must be over 21, be of good charac ter and receive an income of more than £lOO a year.

Permits Easier Very few permits have had to be withdrawn, and in the last few months there has been a very big in crease in the number of permits issued. The increase has amounted to a liberalisation policy, designed no doubt to ease the natives into a posi tion where restrictions could be lifted.

The new Liquor Bill will make a number of other changes, including a reduction in hotel hours, with a closing of bars in the afternoon.

There will be two kinds of hotel and club licences issued—one cover ing all forms of liquor, and a re stricted licence for the sale of beer only.

Instead of a Protectorate Liquor Control Board, each district will have its own Liquor Licensing Board, with the District Commissioner as chair man.

It is impossible at the moment to predict how the Melanesians will take their new freedom, but the permit liberalisation policy seems to be working quite satisfactorily, and there are few drunks seen.