Pastures Past: Booze push to make rural life more attractive

Grabbing a quick pint with mates was a bit trickier for rural folk in 1945. Photo / 123rf

The Country takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.

The local pub has been a staple of rural life for years.

It’s where people can catch up after a hard day’s work to discuss the ups and downs of farming - if they can get time off-farm, of course.

However, this wasn’t the case in 1945, when Parliament froze licensing district boundaries, to prevent them from moving with electoral boundaries.

Then there was “six o’clock closing,” introduced in 1917 which prohibited alcohol sales after 6pm.

This led to the infamous “six o’clock swill” in urban bars, where men would drink as much as they could before staggering home.

Six o’clock closing didn’t make sense in rural areas as people finished work at all hours.

So it’s unsurprising that a lack of drinking facilities was blamed as part of the reason people were drifting to cities, as seen in this NZ Herald article from 1945.

Rural life dull

More hotels urged

County member’s views

New Zealand Herald, May 16, 1945

The redistribution of liquor licences to give rural districts a larger share with the view to improving the attractiveness of living in the country was urged by two representatives of the Hauraki Plains County Council when giving evidence before the Royal Commission on licensing yesterday.

They stated that the drift of population to the large centres was undoubtedly caused by the lack of amenities including drinking facilities in the country.

A member of the council, Donald G. McMillan, said the county had been the unfortunate victim of the licensing laws as it had been originally divided over two electorates.

It had little opportunity of having representation on licensing questions.

NZ Herald article on "dull" rural life in 1945. Image / Papers Past

It was submitted that the licensing system should be divorced from Parliamentary regional representation, as electorate boundaries had no practical relationship to the practical needs of the people in the rural areas.

The council also urged that the location and numbers of licences should be controlled by an independent commission either appointed or elected for each island.

It was also suggested that hotel hours in rural districts should include the period from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Rural hotels should provide the amenities of a social club.

In answer to Mr F. C. Spratt, representing the N. Z. Alliance, witness said that two licences would be necessary to meet the needs of his county residents and business travellers seeking accommodation.

Replying to the Hon. F. G. Young, a member of the commission, he said that it was desired to make rural life more attractive so that labour could be got and held.

If the law was amended he believed there would be an agitation among county residents to obtain licences for the district.

“Life is rather dull in rural districts and to get and keep their labour satisfied the farmers readily take their hands out occasionally,” said witness.

The women of the district had not been directly consulted on the recommendations but he believed they would approve of bringing licences into the district under the existing conditions.

Views of churches

The recommendations for liquor reform which he had presented to the Royal Commission were on behalf of the Dominion organisations of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational Churches, the Society of Friends and the Salvation Army, stated the Rev. J. D. Smith yesterday.

The fact that the evidence was submitted at sittings of the Commission in Auckland did not mean that it was given on behalf of the Auckland churches only.

- Source: Papers Past