00:00:11.630 - 00:00:29.350

The average pattern of drinking in France follows the same idea and the costs in social service, police justice and so on are astronomical. We cannot tolerate that sort of thing in this country. There are many other aspects of the question which should have been discussed and

00:00:29.360 - 00:04:07.679

will be discussed later on. But my time is up now and I hope I have stimulated listeners into taking an interest in the scientific side of the problem and lending their help, help in finding its solution. On

00:04:07.690 - 00:04:54.299

Sunday the 17th of October 1954. This address was given in the Sydney Town Hall during the campaign to retain six o'clock closing at the referendum held later in that year, Mr Chairman Christian Friends. I'm very happy to be with you this afternoon

00:04:54.309 - 00:05:15.019

on this occasion. Also on the platform, I'm glad to see the president of the new South Wales Temperance Alliance, the Reverend Mr Tomlinson and the Secretary of the Alliance Mr Edmonds. I believe that there is a job for us all to do in this battle, but

00:05:15.029 - 00:05:37.140

I'm sure the best way to do it is to march under one banner. We can all have our coats of arms and blazon thereon. But, uh, we do it best as a United Army. The issue before us is only a single one though the discussion naturally

00:05:37.149 - 00:05:59.970

brings up the whole question and that's all to the good. The real issue is six o'clock. It's a remarkable thing in a democracy that the people having spoken twice so overwhelmingly should yet again be called upon to register their vote. And it shows us how resolute

00:05:59.980 - 00:06:21.160

and how persistent are the advocates of the liquor traffic, not only those who have a financial interest, but their various kinds of fellow travelers to think that in 1916 and again, in 47 and now again, in 54 we should be called upon to register our vote.

00:06:22.230 - 00:06:42.230

But believe me, these great advocates of personal liberty didn't intend that we should be giving our vote on Saturday the 13th. They received a tremendous shock in 1947. And from the day after the referendum, they worked with Might and Main to get another chance at 10

00:06:42.239 - 00:07:04.959

o'clock. And they were quite determined that it would come through by a mere parliamentary alteration to the bill. What Mr Mck had not succeeded in giving them in 1946 47. They were hopeful that Mr Carl would be able to give them in this year. And so

00:07:04.970 - 00:07:23.149

it is a victory for the moral leadership of this community that we are to have an opportunity for the people to record their vote. I'm perfectly sure of the outcome of that vote. But I would say to you don't, let's be complacent. Don't let sit back

00:07:24.209 - 00:07:41.250

in the four weeks that remain to us. Let's have an intensification of this campaign. I thoroughly agree with each of the previous speakers that I think we could all afford to get on our hind legs a bit more than we're doing. I think there ought to

00:07:41.260 - 00:08:00.750

be a little bit more of self sacrifice in the matter of our giving. There is only the matter of, uh, four weeks minus one day to polling day, but there's plenty of time for an intensification of the campaign. But the seniors of war must be forthcoming.

00:08:02.609 - 00:08:25.570

Now, the liquor traffic and their friends for, we must uh group them together were perfectly satisfied that the people would vote for six o'clock if they were given an opportunity. And so they decided that there should not be that opportunity. As I've mentioned, you saw the

00:08:25.579 - 00:08:47.409

various gymnastics through which the press performed. It's, uh, cavorting to convince the community that there was no need to take a vote. The Once Great Sydney Morning, Herald, I think, took the prize for sheer cynical absurdity. In the matter of determining this issue. We were told

00:08:47.419 - 00:09:05.359

that certain wise men now considered a referendum, an outmoded part of the democratic process. We've not told who those gentlemen were. They didn't tell us. They simply said it's no longer a part of the democratic procedure. The same people who not so long before were howling

00:09:05.369 - 00:09:25.080

for a referendum on the banking of on the nationalization of banking on compulsory unionism and on other issues. But when it came to the liquor traffic, the most privileged and pampered force in the community. Oh, no. Oh, no. Their intellectual leaders, their bosses had told them

00:09:25.090 - 00:09:44.190

that it was no longer a part of the democratic procedure. And then this great newspaper and it wasn't the only one though. It was the most blatant example said, of course, you see, the people have never had a chance to see what longer hours are like,

00:09:44.929 - 00:10:01.809

never had a chance. You know, didn't have 11 o'clock closing before 1916, did we now who never had a chance? So let the labor government as they are in power, make 10 o'clock closing a part of their political platform. Let them go to the people on

00:10:01.820 - 00:10:24.669

it. But said the Sydney Morning, Herald, it would be monstrous for the liberals to adopt a, an earlier closing hour simply from considerations of political expediency. You see, good old one party government, wherever the liquor traffic is involved, it's got to be treated in a new

00:10:24.679 - 00:10:51.760

way. I say we're a very patient people and I'm just wondering how much longer we're going to remain patient. But I'm emboldened by this fact that history teaches us that arrogant people always overstep the mark. And when they do. There comes a great reaction and I

00:10:51.770 - 00:11:20.380

believe that our friends are going to be even more surprised on November 13 than they were on February the 15th, 7 years ago. I think so. Let us cry and work. Now, we might ask ourselves, what is the aim? What is the aim of those who

00:11:20.390 - 00:11:46.250

are advocating longer hours in a word? It is as Mrs Kelly said to get greater consumption, they are not satisfied with the record as it stands at the moment, Australia is rapidly forging ahead in the race of death. I've just been discussing with Mr Edmonds during

00:11:46.260 - 00:12:06.219

the collection. The latest figures for the pure consumption, the the per capita consumption of pure alcohol in the various nations of Europe and in France, you know, where nobody ever gets drunk and you never see a drunken man and where you've got civilized drinking and yet

00:12:06.229 - 00:12:25.299

they serve it all around the clock, France, you know, consumes on a per capita basis, nearly two and a quarter times as much pure alcohol as any other nation. The Swiss and the Belgians and the Italians are all grouped together, but they're right down in a

00:12:25.309 - 00:12:46.400

second place. France is nearly 2.25 times ahead of her, but Australia is pushing ahead in this rise of death in 1895 our per capita consumption of beer alone was 10 gallons. And for the last year of official figures that had gone up to 21.5. And the

00:12:46.409 - 00:13:08.989

daily mirror just a fortnight ago showed that we'd gone up to 24 gallons per capita of beer alone. We're spending nearly 200 million pounds a year. That's the retail figure getting on towards 80% of our defense expenditure. And still these people are not satisfied. They say

00:13:09.000 - 00:13:29.619

let's get more. Let's open the floodgates wider and let's call it reform. That's what they do. They call it reform. That's their aim to have a greater consumption. What are their arguments? Well, I don't know, I think it's a fair thing to say. They don't seem

00:13:29.630 - 00:14:00.219

to have advanced any very seriously where the champions they hiding. Well, I haven't heard of any. Abraham Lincoln said long ago, the liquor traffic may be defended by its friends, but it cannot be justified. And I agree with everything that has been said this afternoon that

00:14:00.229 - 00:14:22.520

the conscience, not only of the whole community, but of the church, in particular, all the churches needs a great deal of arousing on this question. We have remained guiltily silent. All of us, I don't know of any exception. You get some surprises at times. People that

00:14:22.530 - 00:14:43.450

you thought you could count upon you no longer care. All of us have been guiltily silent much too long. But I believe that the reaction is well and truly on the way. Well, these people by way of argument acknowledge that there is a problem, very kind

00:14:43.460 - 00:14:59.440

of them, they do acknowledge it but they say it's got nothing to do with alcohol. Oh, no, nothing to do with alcohol at all. We can put the thing right by means of education. As a friend of mine sometimes says, you see, the trouble is people

00:14:59.450 - 00:15:16.030

don't know how to drink. It's a matter of education, a matter of amenities. Let's have some darts and some films in the bars. But then of course, the ULB A takes the films out, don't they? So you see these people are not too sure that even

00:15:16.039 - 00:15:36.650

their own solutions are real ones. The real trouble they say is that drinking in New South Wales is uncivilized. Well, I agree with them. I agree with them. It's the most uncivilized process in modern society. It's because of that. As, as one thinker said, Western man

00:15:36.789 - 00:15:56.190

is drinking himself into decadence. The future of the history of the world is not with the West. If this continues, this is a great historical issue, it's not simply something that interests people who like to have certain prohibitions in their lives or they say it's uncivilized.

00:15:56.260 - 00:16:10.849

Look at it, the crowding and the bars terrible. You've got to fight your way through. You saw men climbing over one another's shoulders, not that anyone ever did. But that's the sort of thing that the Herald and the Telegraph who have this competition to see who

00:16:10.859 - 00:16:31.530

can say the silliest things about this question. That's the sort of thing they put forward. Of course, you never heard about overcrowding and trams. Did you? The trains and the little were crowded. But don't you see the difference? No one makes any fuss about it. There's

00:16:31.539 - 00:16:51.729

no great moral issue involved according to these people. And so the question of where it's being uncivilized is brought forward, why I've even seen a, a milk bar crowded, but you never see a brawl developing outside. There must be a reason and these people just will

00:16:51.739 - 00:17:12.170

not face the issue. They say it's all due to six o'clock, all of it, even though it wasn't in the terms of reference, it was obvious after three months that the real burden of Mr Justice Maxwell's report was to pin everything, everything that he dredged up

00:17:12.380 - 00:17:32.300

against the fact that the hotels closed at six o'clock. Give the people an opportunity to see what later closing is. Like I say we had that opportunity before 1916, every Saturday, we have an opportunity to see what happens when men are free to drink without restriction

00:17:32.310 - 00:17:52.420

of hours. And every Saturday is the worst day for fatal accidents. And yet on May the 29th last when the federal election was held, that was the only day on which no fatal accidents have been reported. And yet you see, it just shows you this issue

00:17:52.430 - 00:18:12.630

is more than an intellectual problem. It's a moral one. There we go. If the labor party had liked, we could have had an opportunity to do more than vote to hold the status quo. We could have had an opportunity to deal with this nefarious business of

00:18:12.640 - 00:18:30.390

round the clock, drinking in clubs to put back on the statute book, the right to local option. But I'm not tilting at the Labour Party because in the recent debate about the Enabling Act for this referendum, it was the Liberal Party that showed our worst, no

00:18:30.400 - 00:18:52.890

doubt for considerations of what they regarded as political advantage. Oh, that God would give us some men who are not subject to the power of money and to the pressure of these great lobbies. We'll never get local option in this state until we can get more

00:18:52.900 - 00:19:15.040

men who are not fast bound by the power of the liquor lobby. And there's no use holding their hands up, no use crying to high heaven, your failure. And my failure is that we have not got Christian men and women into the local branches of the

00:19:15.050 - 00:19:32.010

parties whom they support high on the election vote. That's our trouble. We won't do it. We'd sooner sit back in the armchair and criticize those who were there and say that they're ruining the country as undoubtedly they are and will continue to do so until we

00:19:32.020 - 00:20:02.040

really take some action about it. The liquor habit and the acceptance of the liquor habit versus the best interests and the health of the community. That's the issue. This thing is bigger than just the power of the liquor traffic. It's the supine acceptance of the liquor

00:20:02.050 - 00:20:22.410

habit that is ruining the western world. Today. I say we must vote for six o'clock because at least it is a reform in the right direction and we must hold it. As the second speaker said, though, we must develop a great crusade which will go on

00:20:22.420 - 00:20:46.650

from that point and roll the tide back against this soul and body destroying agency, the liquor habit, against the best interests and the health of the community. In a day when home life is at a discount, we say that the decent citizen doesn't need the hotel

00:20:46.660 - 00:21:12.819

in which to spend his leisure. All this nonsense about going with your wife into the homely atmosphere of the local pub. It's blown out by every competent observer who has seen the so called idyllic conditions of the British pub. If our streets are surprisingly unsafe as

00:21:12.829 - 00:21:37.589

indeed they are with six o'clock closing, what will it be like with 10 o'clock closing? What's the implication of Australia's road toll at the present time? You know, our national, our national conscience does need awakening. It's a, a spiritual issue. This one. And until there comes

00:21:37.599 - 00:21:57.680

that revival, the stirrings of which they are seen to be in the United States, we'll never really grapple with this problem. It's a character issue, a spiritual one. Uh People seem unwilling to take any action if we were a rable people. We'd have done something about

00:21:57.689 - 00:22:16.689

the toll of the road and the drinking driver long ago in the whole course of Australia's participation in the Korean War. Our losses in men were 258 and the chief of the Australian General staff said they were high losses. They were greater than we suffered in

00:22:16.699 - 00:22:37.400

North Africa. At the beginning of the war, 258 men killed in war. A terrible thing. A needless tragedy. And yet you talk about needless tragedy in that same period on the roads of New South Wales alone, not all Australia, New South Wales alone, 2103 people were

00:22:37.410 - 00:22:56.270

done to death on the roads. What part did the drinking driver play in that carnage? How can we get the authorities to feel that behind them? There is a great mobilized body of opinion that say the drinking driver is a potential killer and we've got to

00:22:56.280 - 00:23:17.630

deal with him as such. What right of men to park their cars, outside hotels as they go home from work and come out the less fitted to take control of high powered automobiles. Yet I say this thing's got such a grip. The public men are as

00:23:17.640 - 00:23:42.640

yet not prepared to take an open stand against it. Even the Nr Ma still opposes compulsory blood tests. All honor to the Macquarie Street specialist to openly challenge their attitude at their annual meeting last week. I know there are some people who believe the most fantastic

00:23:42.650 - 00:24:08.270

fables. I must confess in qualifying that statement, I've not yet met anyone who seriously believed very much of Mr Justice Maxwell's report. But leaving that aside, the most fantastic fable will in these days find some supporters. But I think this but the innate common sense of

00:24:08.280 - 00:24:31.819

our people when they understand an issue will cause them to vote for six o'clock four weeks from now, our people, I think are beginning to realize that a nation can go beyond the point. And once it goes beyond that point, there's no return, France, I regret

00:24:31.829 - 00:24:55.270

to say has apparently gone beyond that point. Do we want an airline to be thrust back by this evil force so that it shall suffer as the once Great French nation has now done? I say no, this is a citizenship question. We need limiting measures rather

00:24:55.280 - 00:25:18.050

than the opening of the floodgates still wider. We're fighting to preserve our homes and the decency of our land. We've got a lot on the 13th of November and we know it. All these other people have got to gain is neo filthy Luca. And it seems

00:25:18.060 - 00:25:39.300

to me that in the issue, we ought to be the more concerned. My last word to you is this the living Lord calls us to this contest? I am come that they might have life. He says, and have it abundantly. There is an issue you can't

00:25:39.310 - 00:26:04.329

escape. He calls us to stand resolutely for everything that promotes the kingdom of God and justice resolutely against everything that hinders it. The son of God who was manifested that He might destroy the works of Satan and make us the heirs of eternal life. And you

00:26:04.339 - 00:26:33.969

and I are called to take our part in this battle to rise up and say to this evil thing no further. May God give us the strength? But we may play our part resolutely and persistently and with self sacrifice in terms of money and effort that

00:26:33.979 - 00:27:12.770

our state may be preserved from an evil scourge, which with later hours would bring an even worse state of affairs than that which prevails at the moment. After the singing of a hymn, the meeting was closed with the benediction which was pronounced by the Reverend Ch

00:27:12.780 - 00:27:41.150

Tomlinson. At that time, the president of the new South Wales Temperance Alliance, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us or even more. I mean, early in 1956 there was a campaign in

00:27:41.189 - 00:28:07.520

Victoria to get 10 o'clock closing. And at the invitation of the Victorian Local Option Alliance, I went to Victoria for a week in February and again for another week in March 56 to take part in this campaign which was so splendidly successful for at the referendum

00:28:07.530 - 00:28:55.910

held on Saturday the 24th of March, 1956 6 o'clock closing was retained by an overwhelming vote of some 60.3% of the voters. Here is a recording of the address in the Ballarat Town Hall on Thursday the 16th of February 1956 with John a warm welcome, your

00:28:55.920 - 00:29:23.410

worship, Mr with you. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank your worship for the words of welcome that you uttered, not only to myself but also to Mr Mchugh. And I'd like to say this, that though you said there were others who had much more to

00:29:23.420 - 00:29:47.089

say on this subject than you have, sir. I think you summed it up very well. I think that if we were to go away tonight, keeping in mind just what you have said about the common sense and obvious issues of this common sense citizenship matter. There'd

00:29:47.099 - 00:30:08.449

be no doubt in anyone's mind as to what he should do on the 24th of March. I hope you're going to say in your excellent radio work and in every other way you can something like this of later hours. Beware. Put your one in the no

00:30:08.459 - 00:30:26.729

square. That's the word you want to hit from now until the 24th of March. Just one little word of two letters. No, everyone can read that. Everyone understands that everyone can find it on the ballot paper. It's not a senate election. Fortunately, they'll be able to

00:30:26.739 - 00:31:01.180

see just what to put down I'd like to say sir, also that the whole of Victoria, it was a great deal to Mr Robertson Mchugh, the Reverend Robertson Mchugh, he's known throughout Australia as one of the experts on this subject. That's not just a subject, that's

00:31:01.189 - 00:31:24.099

the concern of, uh, people who are particularly interested in that sort of thing and who haven't other things to occupy their attention, but a subject that has become the great major social issue in Australia today, I'm not here talking about it really from that broad aspect.

00:31:24.109 - 00:31:45.859

But I must remind you that the Federal treasurer stated in introducing the budget a few months ago that we Australians are now, we've doubled their per capita consumption of beer since 1939. And that, whereas we spend as a nation, the 9 million of us 100 and

00:31:45.869 - 00:32:11.819

90 millions a year on defense, we spend 202 millions a year on liquor. It's a great social question, a great issue. And here are people whose approach to it is so superficial, so cynically hypocritical, so utterly concerned only with their own pockets that they say give

00:32:11.829 - 00:32:34.300

us another four hours and we'll solve it for you and you are expected and I'm expected to accept that sort of thing as a serious contribution to the subject. And we find even a man like Sir John Medley who's so utterly out of touch with the

00:32:34.310 - 00:32:56.430

realities in his academic world or unconcerned about the responsibility that rests upon him as a leading citizen. But in the age the other day, he was talking along that line, my word. He got a good answer the next day, didn't he, didn't he? Somebody said to

00:32:56.439 - 00:33:17.500

me a Victorian in Sydney, I'm disgusted with John Medley. And I said to him, did you read the answer? I think he'll think once again before he comes back so superficially on that question. Now, I'd like to say this, but there are, of course some people

00:33:17.510 - 00:33:33.609

who say, well, what are you doing down here in Victoria? No one's actually said that of course. But uh people might think it, you know, these foreigners from north of the Murray that can't look after their own affairs. How dare you come down and talk to

00:33:33.619 - 00:33:50.729

us? Of course, I say no one has said that because you Victorians are so well mannered. It's not like the story that's told about Governor Warren when he was the governor of California. He's now, of course, on the bench of the Supreme Court in the United

00:33:50.739 - 00:34:13.830

States, he came to a southern city. Of course, they're pretty forthright in the south. So I'm told, and as he got into the address, a very audible voice was heard persistently from the back making comments too fast. Said the voice too slow, old stuff, badly prepared.

00:34:15.120 - 00:34:28.739

And so Warren paused now and again to see what would happen and on and on when these comments, when it was all over. The chairman arose in a great flurry. I'm sure, sir, you won't have to do this. And he said, you know, Governor Warren, I,

00:34:28.769 - 00:34:41.539

uh, I hope that you won't take any notice of what you heard. You know, that was just Willie, you could hear now, Willie, of course, no one takes any notice of him. He doesn't know the score. He's a town I did. He only repeats what he

00:34:41.549 - 00:35:02.919

hears other people saying. And so I want to say to you that only the most compelling reason would make me just at this particular juncture come down from Sydney, which of course to us the night, a new South Welshman is the center of the universe. But

00:35:02.929 - 00:35:21.020

still, I'm learning differently as I move around down here. Only a very real reason could bring me down. And that reason is that I feel I've got to tell you what's happening and what has happened for the last 12 months since this most disastrous piece of

00:35:21.030 - 00:35:42.409

social legislation came in on the first of February 1955 up in New South Wales. I'm very interested as the mayor indicated in old people's work, senior citizens. We call them up there. And I think that's a good title because one of the things that I do

00:35:42.419 - 00:36:02.989

in my leisure time apart from looking after my parish is to care for and direct the work of a, an old people's settlement, a garden settlement near Liverpool, about 18 miles out from Sydney at a place called Hammond Bill. And so I was very interested to

00:36:03.000 - 00:36:22.399

see your splendid Queen Elizabeth Home, which is certainly something of which the whole of Victoria can be proud. And we opened last year, a nursing home that of course is nowhere near as large as the magnificent provision made here. But of course, we'll keep on growing

00:36:22.409 - 00:36:40.510

and we'll see what we can do. We call it after Matron Shaw, who I think is known down here in Victoria for her wonderful work. And she is a member of the Citizens Committee that helps in this activity. Sir, Richard Boyer, the chairman of the ABC

00:36:40.520 - 00:36:59.169

is a member and Sir Leslie Moore had another and sir Hugh Pope, one of our leading uh surgeons is another and we've just started on an expansion, an extension program. But I say that the importance of this issue confronting you on the 24th of March, sets

00:36:59.179 - 00:37:19.800

all that aside. Someone must do his bit to let other citizens know the disastrous effects of this legislation during the past 12 months. I want to say this to you and I hope you'll tell everyone whom you meet you. Victorians have a great deal to lose

00:37:19.810 - 00:37:40.370

on the 24th of March. These are the people hope for profit for monetary gain. The uh hotel keepers are not so sure of it. I don't know whether you read the article in the Melbourne paper. Which one is it? Mr Mchugh. This is the age, the

00:37:40.379 - 00:37:56.260

artist rather. Yes, I always get them mixed up. It's called it. It's 10 o'clock or bust. Well, I'd say it's 10 o'clock and bust if they really understand what's meant. And here is a leader among the UL va deploring the fact that when a meeting was

00:37:56.270 - 00:38:14.989

called yesterday, only 30 publicans turned up and he expected at least 80. And he said to them, hotel licensees were warned last night, failure to win 10 p.m. closing will not only mean losing profit. I didn't think they were going to lose any profit. I thought

00:38:15.000 - 00:38:30.159

that there was going to be less consumed if we had longer hours, but he doesn't say that but will lead to more licensing restrictions. And so he urged them on to do better. And then he told them that of course, they weren't only up against people

00:38:30.169 - 00:38:51.330

like Robertson Mchugh and the local option Alliance. They were up against the picture show proprietors and the confectionary people and the uh people who look after milk bars. And I can well understand that he is being opposed by them because their business has been seriously affected

00:38:51.340 - 00:39:09.860

in New South Wales. Some milk bars are on the way out already and have been from the first day that this new legislation came in. And then somebody said, is it a fact that the Carlton Brewery hasn't sent their donation to the Fighting Fund and he

00:39:09.870 - 00:39:23.989

said, well, I'll put it this way. We haven't received it until late today. A word. The breweries are the only ones that are going to gain out of it, but they won't even throw their money into the battle. They want apparently the publicans to do all

00:39:24.000 - 00:39:36.959

that. And the publicans know that it's not going to be worth it from their point of view as they've discovered in the majority of cases in New South Wales. But here's a man saying we've got to get into this because there's pro into it that isn't

00:39:36.969 - 00:39:57.320

in accordance with what we're being told in the advertisements and what we were promised in New South Wales. I've come here to tell you what I know from the happening in New South Wales for a year past and to ask you a simple question. Do you

00:39:57.330 - 00:40:14.459

want this sort of thing that I'm going to draw your attention to, to happen in Victoria? It's easy enough to get 10 o'clock closing, but you'll find that it won't be so easy to get rid of it when you want to all Australia is looking to

00:40:14.469 - 00:40:33.370

Victoria at this time. And therefore it's not enough simply to work. You're not working in a lackadaisical way. But I say it isn't enough to work in a lackadaisical way for a bare majority. Let it be such an overwhelming majority that Victoria will stem this tide.

00:40:34.429 - 00:41:07.540

All the advance of a closely knit sales promotion program of this most heartless and unconcerned, brewing minority and monopoly in our community. Their attitude is we got it in Queensland without a referendum and it's been a disaster there, there is no talk of increased drunkenness becoming

00:41:07.550 - 00:41:23.000

less great in Queensland. The drink bill goes up every year. They got it by a narrow margin in New South Wales for some reasons that I'll mention in a moment and a very narrow margin as the chairman said, they're going to try and get it in

00:41:23.010 - 00:41:39.790

Victoria if they do get it in Victoria. And I'm sure they won't. They'll go off to South Australia and then they'll try for Sunday trading throughout Australia. And you know, within three months of the introduction of later closing in New South Wales, the Sydney morning, Herald

00:41:39.800 - 00:42:02.030

was calling for 12 o'clock closing. These people show their hand. But by down show before the vote is taken, they set out with a number of promises and surely I say to you, it is full of significance that the heads of the churches in New South

00:42:02.040 - 00:42:22.439

Wales delivered a letter last Thursday to the premier and the leader of the opposition asking them both to indicate in their policy speeches delivered this week in an election that the premier put on seven weeks before the promised time asking them to indicate whether the people

00:42:22.449 - 00:42:40.010

of New South Wales were going to be given another democratic opportunity. The referendum to say whether they want a 10 o'clock closing to continue or not? Does that look like success when people right on the top flight of responsible leadership in our new South Wales community

00:42:40.129 - 00:42:59.080

are calling as they have done for the past six months. In view of what's happened for a new referendum, the archbishop of Sydney, the primate of Australia, as you know him to be, of course, in his charge to the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, drew

00:42:59.090 - 00:43:17.649

attention to what was going on and called among other things for another referendum. And I'm very happy to say that his grace, the archbishop of Melbourne with whom I was speaking yesterday expressed very much the same opinion and I know that Bishop Johnson of Ballarat, whom

00:43:17.659 - 00:43:33.659

I have the pleasure and honor of meeting every now and again in Sydney, when he comes over for meetings is of the same opinion. And as Mr Mchugh said, where the meetings are held throughout Victoria men in responsible positions like your mayor in this city have

00:43:33.669 - 00:44:00.469

aligned themselves with this citizenship drive to prevent something that has been a great safeguard of home life from being swept away by greedy minority and monopoly. Now, I think Mr Mchugh told you that six o'clock closing came into New South Wales in 1916 when 60% of

00:44:00.479 - 00:44:21.429

the electors voted for six o'clock. And you know, these Democrats on the other side who are always talking about uh the liberty of the subject never accepted that verdict. They work with all the subtlety and all that avalanche of propaganda that they can turn on and

00:44:21.439 - 00:44:35.530

turn off like a tap and listen. Don't take any notice of this talk that you read in the papers that the brewing industries are not really going to make a fight of it. Don't you believe it? That's intended to lull people into a sense of false

00:44:35.540 - 00:44:54.810

security. They've been saying that all over Australia, they said that in South Australia last year, in some local polls that were held and they turned it on in the last fortnight, largely caught our people unprepared. I can see they're not going to do that in Victoria.

00:44:54.820 - 00:45:09.310

Don't believe that when I was in Geelong last night, the chairman said, somebody said to him. Oh, well, yes, you've asked me to help on this committee about six o'clock. Well, now, you know, I'm very busy. I can't help. There's no need for any of us

00:45:09.320 - 00:45:30.590

to work. Really. We'll win without an effort. Well, that's silly talk, that silly talk. And I suggest that you're not going to be fooled by that sort of thing. And so these people at no time accepted the 1916 60% majority and they work for another opportunity.

00:45:30.860 - 00:45:49.590

They didn't want a referendum, they never really have, but a referendum was forced in 1947 by popular opinion and those who'd worked for six o'clock closing and they were far wider in their constituency than the church people, just as they are in this Victorian campaign rose

00:45:49.600 - 00:46:06.600

up and in the spirit of Verdun, if you, like he said, they shall not pass, we're not going to lose this thing and we increased the majority from 60 to 62%. Now, you would have thought, wouldn't you that those who believe in democracy would have accepted

00:46:06.610 - 00:46:24.290

that? But no, they decided we'll have to try a new tactic. We won't go straight out and tell the people that we've got a big sales promotion campaign on and tell them what we're after. That would be too honest, might go over so well. They said

00:46:24.300 - 00:46:50.969

we will appoint a royal commission and we'll choose a judge now as a responsible citizen, I'm not going to say anything derogatory about the bench except to say that the way in which Mr Justice Maxwell conducted that commission was the occasion of amazement in all sections

00:46:50.979 - 00:47:15.959

of our new South Wales community. Mr Jw Smythe QC, who was the advocate for tooth, the biggest brewery and one who doesn't as a rule hold my opinions said that commission was a terrible travesty of British justice and judicial methods, terrible things he said were done.

00:47:16.860 - 00:47:37.229

But in a court of law and normal procedure would not have been allowed. Men's reputations were destroyed, their businesses destroyed by the way in which the judge conducted the commission. That's what he said when someone got up and asked a question of a brewing witness about

00:47:37.239 - 00:47:51.169

what's called the Liquor Trades Defense Fund, which of course is, uh gathering in its money from the levy on every barrel of beer. The judge said, I overrule the question, I won't let it be asked. It's not part of the terms of reference. That's the way

00:47:51.179 - 00:48:08.610

it was conducted. And, you know, closing hours weren't part of the terms of reference either. And yet it was clear after the first fortnight's activity, the first fortnight's hearing that the judge with all the corruption and all the lawlessness that he was dredging up from the

00:48:08.620 - 00:48:27.739

cross examine, that examination that took place was going to unload all this, going to unload it all at the door of six o'clock closing wasn't in the terms of reference, but Mr Justice Maxwell was there to do one thing to say all this that's associated with

00:48:27.750 - 00:48:52.370

this lawless traffic can be improved and eliminated largely if you get rid of six o'clock. So that was their new approach. And then when that report was submitted after two years and only one European visit, the liquor ride went into action and they didn't say as

00:48:52.379 - 00:49:18.600

I've just mentioned, we want more sales. We're going to really go out after increasing the sale of our product. They said, now let's sing up a slogan. We've got it. One glorious word, civilized. We give the people civilized, drinking, cultural amenities, leisurely drinking that will lead

00:49:18.610 - 00:49:41.040

to lessen consumption and almost eliminate drunkenness and will turn the public house into something where you will be glad to bring your wife and your family though. I should imagine that would largely be a matter of cultural level. But they didn't say that that's what they

00:49:41.050 - 00:49:56.969

said, civilized. They said, you know, there's a terrible thing growing up in the community in New South Wales. And I seem to be reading in the papers here too. It's called the six o'clock Rush. And then that wasn't good enough. So they dug another word out

00:49:56.979 - 00:50:12.449

and made it into a top line dictionary with the six o'clock will. Oh, what a terrible thing. The moral indignation that's aroused to that. You know, yesterday I was in one of your Melbourne trains, if I may say so, they weren't any better than New South

00:50:12.459 - 00:50:35.360

Wales ones and it was around five o'clock. Well, talk about packed in like sardines. There wouldn't have been any room for the oil. If we had been sardines, it was terrific. Just as it is in New South Wars. They say the railways and era in Ireland

00:50:35.370 - 00:50:49.429

are pretty good. But, uh, I don't know, I think we've got a lot to learn from them. If they are in parts of Australia. You never heard all this moral indignation about a crowded milk bar. And, you know, before 10 o'clock closing came in, you often

00:50:49.439 - 00:51:06.070

saw a crowded milk bar. No one ever got worked up about that no one in Sydney ever gets worked up when Walton's or David Jones or someone turn on a real bargain sale. The police are there at half past eight in the morning to guard the

00:51:06.080 - 00:51:21.290

glass windows and the doors with all the anxious housewives waiting to get in. But there, there's no moral outcry people like Sir John Medley and others don't get worked up about that sort of thing. No, there's a reason, there's a reason. Of course, there's a reason

00:51:22.189 - 00:51:43.870

there's no great vested interest that plays fast and loose with the truth trying to bring some capital out of all this talk about the swill. What's the reason behind it? Well, look here, there's nothing new about the reason. The reason was, I think best summed up

00:51:43.879 - 00:52:01.360

by a man named Edgar Sanders, the chairman of the Brewers Congress in England. Way back in 1933. It's a long time ago, but his statement is very up to date. He said we want to get the beer drinking habit instilled into thousands or millions of young

00:52:01.370 - 00:52:18.090

men who don't at present know the taste of beer. And they're doing that in New South Wales with 10 o'clock closing as they could never have done it before. I tell you what. I know. I'm not telling what people have told me what I've read. That's

00:52:18.100 - 00:52:33.270

the only reason I came to give you the objective evidence. I think we Australians have got to be adult enough to look at the facts objectively, whether we like them or not and admit what are objective facts and stop this business of only looking at what

00:52:33.280 - 00:52:48.560

fits in with our preconceived ideas. If 10 o'clock closing or 12 o'clock closing or all round the clock opening or closing, whatever you like to call it, we'll solve this social problem. I for it, I am for it if it will do that. But after 12

00:52:48.570 - 00:53:07.030

months of its operation in New South Wales, I say it's quite to the contrary. I imagine that all of you folk in Victoria know the name of Gordon Powell. Well, he's come to Sydney a most friendly and splendid man and he's exercising a remarkable ministry at

00:53:07.040 - 00:53:22.129

the ST Stephen's Presbyterian Church in Macquarie Street in Sydney. I'm lost Saturday. He said to me, you're going down to Victoria. Yes. So I'll be going down later on. Have you been around to see what's going on? I said I have. Well, he said I'd like

00:53:22.139 - 00:53:35.149

to have a look at it too. Should we go out? Well, I said it's Saturday night. I never go out on Saturday night. There's rather a lot to do tomorrow, but we will go out and we did and we spent about four hours going around in

00:53:35.159 - 00:53:54.659

the afternoon and then coming back again and looking around from eight o'clock until 10. And what we saw was this among many other things for those who were standing around in the bars and in the lounges and the beer gardens, sitting down there in the lounges

00:53:54.669 - 00:54:14.469

in the beer gardens, in that case were 80% of them young people under 30. And he said to me, well, that's good for the brewing industry. Yes, I said that will shoot up the 202 million to a good deal more that will move up there. 21

00:54:14.479 - 00:54:34.709

pounds, 10 per head of the population in New South Wales spent on beer even though we only spend 17 pounds per head on groceries. That'll make it even worse that we spend 2.5 times on liquor. What we spend on education, be good for the brewing. Yes,

00:54:34.719 - 00:54:47.159

I admit that the brewing industry, but he said, is it going to be good for the young man and the young women? And is it going to be good for the future of Australia? Now that's happening in New South Wales? Do you want to hear in

00:54:47.169 - 00:55:06.370

Victoria? You've got your opportunity to say whether you do or not and the people of this great state on the 24th of March, I say you've got a lot to lose on the 24th of Victoria and every one of us here who cares about the future.

00:55:07.060 - 00:55:26.199

Will I submit? Do his best in terms of sacrificial giving. Yes. Not just two shilling pieces. Somebody once said, if money talks, the collection plate only whispers, well, you you'll make it talk tonight. The people of Geelong had a meeting similar to this last night and

00:55:26.209 - 00:55:46.270

they put in over 50 pounds, then let them beat you. Let's have something of a competition to see who can turn in the best majority for six o'clock. So that it will be so overwhelming that these people will pause before they make their next onslaught on

00:55:46.280 - 00:56:02.090

West Australia as they're planning to do, mark the way you might know that. But it's a fact going out to make a 10 o'clock closing instead of nine o'clock, they're not satisfied with nine o'clock over there. The, the extra hour with Sunday trading thrown in, they

00:56:02.100 - 00:56:26.790

are insatiable, but of course, they don't come out openly and say what they are really asked. Well, why did we lose 10 o'clock, six o'clock rather in New South Wales? Well, you know what Dale Carnegie says, one of his last books, how to stop worrying and

00:56:26.800 - 00:56:46.949

start Living or something like that. My people said, here's how to win a referendum without worrying, but we didn't win. Uh people step back. They, they were like the man who spoke to the chairman of Geelong last night though, he said there's nothing to work for.

00:56:46.959 - 00:57:09.659

Why ask us. We won in 1916 with an overwhelming majority and we increased it in 1947. You're going to ask us to work again. And so we sat back and we did virtually nothing to our shame. It's got to be serious, except in some areas like

00:57:09.669 - 00:57:23.350

Parramatta and other big centers where the minister's fraternal said you can't let this sort of thing go by default on the ground of what we did a few years ago. This thing's got to be argued all over again and they did argue it and every time

00:57:23.360 - 00:57:41.239

where that was done they brought in a something majority for six o'clock. And even so with all our apathy and with all the avalanche of propaganda on the other side, which incidentally were really only turned on for the last 10 days. So market in Victoria, because

00:57:41.250 - 00:58:01.310

I don't need to tell Mr mckew to market in Victoria, he's been marking it for the last 30 more years. You can't put anything over him. But let's make sure that we are all on the ball even so these people won with a majority of 9000,

00:58:01.320 - 00:58:30.459

792 votes, less than 10,000 for all New South Wales, out of nearly 2 million voters, the majority for 10 was less than 10,000 half of 1%. And so there came in this bit of legislation that is largely changing the social pattern in New South Wales. They

00:58:30.469 - 00:58:47.989

said we'll give you civilized drinking and we'll cut out the six o'clock swi we'll give you leisurely drinking. And then the government amended the Liquor Act in all sorts of ways that had never been put before. The people with the result, for example, that the number

00:58:48.000 - 00:59:04.889

of club licenses in New South Wales has doubled, not nearly doubled, doubled in the last 12 months. But that's another story. Now, if you were to come with me to any of the large hotels in the suburbs of Sydney from 415 on until half past six,

00:59:05.709 - 00:59:20.199

I'd show you the six o'clock will all over again going on for another half hour. And if you came back with me and saw as we did last Saturday night and on other occasions when I've seen it at 20 to 10 until 10 o'clock, I'd show

00:59:20.209 - 00:59:38.909

you another swill. Not quite so great. That's what would happen that if we knew what would happen, the swill is taking place because it's close to the closing hour or better still as it is. And now New South Wales, because men are going home. I have

00:59:38.919 - 00:59:56.310

here. I haven't time to read it to you. An article from the Sydney Morning, Herald dated the 20th of August last when this great social experiment had been going for six months. Nearly seven months. It's called Report on a Prebreakfast pub crawl. What wonderful language we're

00:59:56.320 - 01:00:14.239

getting associated with this habit. And this is what this man says. He says his chief of staff turned him out of bed early in the morning, much complaining and he went around to some hotels that have a permit to open early in the morning. He says

01:00:14.250 - 01:00:32.860

I arrived at the Mount Batten Hotel at the corner of George Street and Timo road at 6:40 a.m. The public bar, the only one open was packed with a crowd which would be the envy of many a licensee at 6 p.m. Then he says I went

01:00:32.870 - 01:00:52.590

down to the Covent Garden Hotel in Dixon Street where market workers were too deep around the saloon bar. And then he went along to a bar at Circular Quay where there were 200 men crowded around the bar. I commented on the crowd to a fellow drinker

01:00:52.600 - 01:01:11.629

and he said it was a bit below normal because there was a strike at Garden Island. Six o'clock's got nothing particularly to do with the issue except that men are going home. If you close the hotels at eight or nine or 10 or 11 or 12,

01:01:11.639 - 01:01:29.070

there'll still be a rush when men are going home. And in New South Wales with the 40 hour week, a great many men knock off work at 415. So it can't be said that they haven't very much time. And so this sort of thing could be

01:01:29.080 - 01:01:45.510

demonstrated by seeing it with your own eyes, that the very thing that was promised to be removed and that many people in the good old Australian way of saying. All right, I don't know that I do believe they're propaganda, but we'll give it a go and

01:01:45.520 - 01:02:02.250

then get rid of it if we don't like it. And these people are sorry that they were gulled and taken in and those who want six o'clock closing never to come back and want 10 o'clock closing with its greater profits are determined that we'll never have

01:02:02.260 - 01:02:20.800

another opportunity to put the thing. Right. I told you 10 o'clock closing will come easily enough. It won't be so easy to get rid of it. They said there would be cultural amenities. Well, now we had a look at that last Saturday night, we came to

01:02:20.810 - 01:02:38.010

a hotel on the corner of Burke Street in Cleveland Street. We could hear it 200 yards away and that's no exaggeration. I honestly do pity the people who have to live nearby. And as Gordon Powell said, gracious me, you can tell where a hotel is by

01:02:38.020 - 01:02:55.290

the number of cars parked around it and so you can and that bears on another great problem. That time, doesn't it? The toll of the road. And we went in, this was about 20 to 10 and there was this bar crowded with 250 people. We made

01:02:55.300 - 01:03:13.969

a pretty close count. I said to him, Gordon, if this was a church congregation, we put it down to 350 but still 250 is a more accurate count. Now, I said, let's have a look at the amenities and we forced their way through and there was

01:03:13.979 - 01:03:30.830

a piano at one end, a man just battering away that. That's all you could say. And if you could hardly blame him, two other people were singing, I suppose that's what they were intended to be doing. Singing into a microphone. There was another man with a

01:03:30.840 - 01:03:47.540

set of Cymbals clashing them every now and again and banging quite hard on a period of drums. No one was listening. Everyone was doing what my friend Powell and I were trying to do, trying to make ourselves heard against the bin. That's your cultural amenity. Or

01:03:47.550 - 01:04:03.290

you say that's only one place. Well, of course, if you won't accept the evidence of an eyewitness, you'll have to come and see it for yourself. But I suggest that you take the evidence of someone who hasn't a financial interest. And that's one thing that can

01:04:03.300 - 01:04:18.830

be said about those who are talking on this question of six o'clock closing, I imagine. Of course, the m bar people have a financial interest in the cinema proprietors and the hire purchase people and so on. But to people like those on the platform as far

01:04:18.840 - 01:04:37.590

as I know of no financial or vested interest in the subject, we're concerned from another point of view altogether. Just that question of it might be good for the brewing industry. But is it good for the young people particularly and the future of Australia? We now

01:04:37.600 - 01:04:38.459

hear a