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over his hotel, these duties are for the most part discharged by his barmen, who, in the bar, become the eyes, the ears, and the will of the licensee. Clearly then, good character, a sound judgement, and tact are required for the proper discharge of the very real responsibility of a barman. 579. There is evidence from which it may be inferred that some barmen fail to discharge their duties. We have dealt with after-hours trading and shown that it is very prevalent. It is said in the statement of the Federated Hotel Workers' Union that 90 per cent, of the barmen finish work a few minutes after 6 p.m., and therefore that they are not the men who are engaged in after-hour trading (R. 7146). Even so the other 10 per cent do not finish at 6 p.m. and the shifts of barmen may vary. Furthermore, statistics supplied to us show that convictions are regularly obtained, though the convictions are not numerous, for supplying liquor to intoxicated persons, and to prohibited persons (R. 338). Convictions, considerably more numerous, are regularly obtained for the supply of liquor to persons under twenty-one years of age. These are as follows : for 1935, 12 convictions ; 1936, 27 ; 1937, 54 ; 1938, 48 ; 1939, 73 ; 1940, 32 ; 1941, 76 ; 1942, 95 ; 1943, 54 ; 1944, 43 ; (R. 338). We have also dealt with the question of dregs and need say no more about the possibility of the participation of barmen in that practice. We have the evidence of the Federated Hotel Workers' Union that there is a little bookmaking done in bars, but that the employers do not countenance it (R. 7168). On the other hand, another witness said that on the West Coast every hotel is a bookmaker's agent on race days (R. 5427). We also have evidence from a barman of seven or eight years' standing that during his years of experience he had known of " quite a few " barmen who had been convicted in the Criminal Court, including six for theft (R. 5922). There have also been recent convictions of barmen for bookmaking in four separate hotels in Christchurch. 580. The weight of the evidence before the Commission is heavily in favour of the registration of barmen. The Commissioner of Police, three Superintendents of Police, and other police witnesses who gave evidence before us all advocated registration. One licensee was in favour of it with a provision for the employment of an unregistered barman, provided that he registered within a certain time (R. 4565). One Magistrate (Mr. Coleman) was in favour of it (R. 5996e). One Magistrate (Mr. Luxford) opposed it, on the ground that a good licensee should be able to handle a barman and make him do proper work (R. 6534). The Salvation Army supported it (R. 6599). Twenty-seven Licensing Committees support registration ; twenty-nine expressed no opinion. No Licensing Committee expressed an opinion against registration. 581. The attitude of the trade towards the registration of barmen has been inconsistent. Among the immediate reforms proposed in the corporate control proposals which were supported by the trade was the following : That no man shall act as a barman without a license granted by the Licensing Committee, or by the Chairman and any two members thereof. Provided that a man may be employed as a barman for any period not exceeding fourteen consecutive days without a license. That all convictions against a barman should be endorsed on his license ; that his license should be cancelled after three endorsements. That every barmaid be required to make a statutory declaration before a Magistrate that she is entitled to hold a license under the existing provisions of the law. (Para. 204 (6), supra.) No steps were taken to carry out this proposal. 582. In his opening address for the trade Mr. Cooke, K.C., said : I wish to make it clear on behalf of the trade that we neither support nor oppose the registration of barmen. (R. 2203.) This view appears to have been supported by one large firm in the trade, L. D. Nathan and Co., who said they had no views on the question (R. 4351), but other witnesses for the trade were generally opposed to registration on the grounds that they did not desire any more restrictions and because of practical difficulties in obtaining assistance when it was urgently needed. The statement presented on behalf of the Hotel Workers'

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