The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-09-28 00:00:00

THE NEW LICENSING ACT AND ITS

RESULTS.

The Times of Wednesday, reviewing the results of the new
Licensing Act, has the following leader :
A sufficient time has now elapsed since the passing
of the new Licensing Act to allow the public and the
authorities to form some definite opinion about its prob-
able influence in repressing drunkenness and disorder,
and to allow those who are most interested of all, the
publicans themselves, to realize to the full the changed
conditions of their calling. In nearly all places the
magistrates have determined to adhere to the hours
of opening and closing deined by the Art itself,
and not to exercise their power of permitting greater
liberty in consequence of any of those conditions
which, as generally existing, must be supposed
to have been present to the mind of the Legis-
lature. Among the pleas for modified hours which
have been fruitlessly advanced there are some which
at present are clearly untenable, and which magistrates
could not do otherwise than reject, at all events until
time has afforded evidence of their validity. Numerous
bodies of ass misted working men, Foresters, Odd
Fellows, and Benefit Clubs of all descriptions, have
complained of the hardship of having to close their
Lodges before the business of the night is concluded;
but to this there is the obvious reply that the as-
sociation of the Benefit Club with the publichouse has
ong been the greatest blot upon the former, and the
chief drawback to its utility. The young labourer
who joins a Club does actually, by what would
otherwise be a prudent and wise set, join at the same
time an association for the consumption of adulterated
beer; and all who are acquainted with the habits of
working men—at all events, of agricultural labourers
—know only too well how often the Club initiation
opens the door to habits of intemperance. No con-
summation would be more to be desired than that work-
ing men's Clubs should find the new house for closing
publichouses too early for their requirements, and that
they should by degrees be induced to hold their meetings
in school-rooms or other suitable buildings, where the
present unnatural union between beer and business
would cease to exi-t. Another plea valve h has been
urged for an extension of time is the need for re-
freshment of men who work until late hours in factories and•other places. Thus, one experienced ap.
plicant state-I that he was often obliged to leave the
town in which he lived by a train that started at
six is the morning; that he did not return tilt past
eleven at night ; awl he demurred to the Act because
it prevents,' him from obtaining necessary refresh-
ment "without Oisturiting his wife and family." The
Bench was probably of opinion that a working man's
wife might reasonably be expected to prepare au early
breakfast for her husband, and to leave a supper ready
against his return; so this particular case met with
no effectual sympathy. Even in the towns where
the claims of night labour are the strongest—as for in-
stance, at Sheffield and other places where machinery
is kept in constant working by relays of men—no re.
taxation has as yet been conceded. It cannot be
doubted that where the requirement is a real one it
may be met by sonic contrivance other, and possibly
I tter, than the publichouse. Large employers will
r t(ably organize refreshment rooms upon their pre-
mises, or the workmen will take the matter in their
own hands for some form of co-operation, and, in
either case, will obtain food instead of stimu-
*ate. The most ardent advocates for the occa-
sional employment of alcoholic drinks will neither
assert that they are absolutely required between
the hours of eleven at night and six in the morn-
ing nor deny that the quantity most calculated to pro-
mote health and vigour may be consumed outside of
those limits. On the whole, it is gratifying to see that

the deemed far rehtzetko have ha mammy Instances
been bawd upon grounds that would hardly bear
serious examination, still less justify any departure
from the hours laid down in the Act. The discretion
given to magistrates was intended to remove real and
exceptional hardship, not generally to diminish the
stringency of the law. That so few cages requiring the
exercise of this discretion have occurred must be taken
to afford valuable evidence of the suitability of the
restrictions which Parliament has sanctioned.
Our old friend the band fide traveller has, however,
once snore asserted himself amid the general curtail-
ment of the privileges of less favourel persons, and
he seems likely to give all concerned—policemen,
magistrates, and publicans—a good deal more trouble
than tither his privileges or his customs .din be
worth. . .
. . . _

. . . •
The effect of the new law in diminiahlrg drunkenness
and street disorder seems, as far as can be judged at
pre.nt, to be very decided ; and it must nets...iffy
have the good effect of shortening the time during
whith such disorder can occur. In many procincial
towels the period of pablichouse closing lA no of great
annoyance, espi chilly to residents in the suhurbs. In
the streets themselves there is the, oaf guard of police
supervisi•n ; but revellers who live in neighbouring vil-
lages, and who reel homeward by twos and three, shout-
ing profane or filthy sago, f.ightei.iig belated women,
and insulting respectable passeukers, ac in many places
an almost iht• ler:title nuisance. It is by these people and
their conduct that az.) deep and strong a feeling has been
crested against the way in which much publichonse
business has hitherto been carried ou : and soy plan
which sends the topers earlier homeward, and leaves
them less time in which to reach their conception
of perfect bliss, must necessarily be an unmixed
gain to all who value tranquillity. .. . The
penalties which fall upon lan ilorde who supply
drink to those who are already intoxicated will
make the publican a preacher of temperance. Nor,
on the other hand, CAII anything be more just than
the provisions for punishing customers who are
served in contravention of the Act, as well as the
persons whom they tempt to contravene it by serving
them. These benefits must entail some kw . upon
publicans, Still, as we have often pointed out, we
have but scant sympathy for trade losses which imply
a distinct gain to public decency and morals, and
the keepers of licensed houses must be content
to carry on their calling under any restrictions that
the attainment of such gain may require. We believe
that they will still find themselves practically unfet-
tered as regards all that portion of their business
which it is desirable to encourage, and only restrained
in directions in which their past licence has been proved
to be fruitful of evil to the community.