Special

Pim

Special Report

Of the many problems that oc jy the islands of the South cific, the problem of liquor is ' most general and the most xstant.

Who should drink and how \ch and how often?

There is no general rule —each ritory handles the matter dif ently—and with the exception •haps of French Polynesia, ere there are no restrictions, no ritory considers the problem r been solved.

In most islands, the problems - debated fairly regularly, offi lly and unofficially, but changes > slow for there is seldom any animity on what should be ne for the best.

During discussions in most ices the word “discrimination” heard frequently. It is claimed it in islands where Europeans ? allowed to drink but where ligenous people aren’t, the in ]enes are the victims of dis mination and that they resent The same criticism has been ide of the permit system.

In islands where the law is cumvented by using the pretence it liquor is being consumed “for •dicinal purposes only” (and ?st Europeans are therefore vays in a state of ill-health), it s been suggested that the in *enes would prefer to see this item continued rather than have replaced with a permit system, cause a permit system would iscriminate”.

In areas where drinking is her banned for the indigenes tightly controlled, senior Gov xment officers are continually ding themselves embarrassed ten they offer hospitality to xed gatherings.

When an educated native, tally forbidden to drink, ac pts liquor from the drink tray, xat is the host to do? More and ore the answer is to do nothing, d thus the law is brought into srepute. This in itself is one of e factors which cause many in lligent people to press for alt era ms to local liquor laws.