I do not wish to detain the House at any great length. A great deal of valuable time has been spent already in debating this Liquor Bill, which confers no advantage on the publicans or the community at large, especially the people in the rural areas. As the Bill stands at present if a person in the rural areas wishes to moisten "the chosen leaf of bard and chief" he is debarred from doing so unless he travels three or four miles to qualify as a bona fide traveller. To my mind very few farmers or farm labourers can afford to go into publichouses to spend their money, owing to the economic state of the country. Every member of the Cumann na nGaedheal Party who contributed to the debate reminded me of a cobbler sticking to his last. They were trying to patch up a worn old Bill and to pass it over to the publican. Where does this demand come from? It does not come from the licensed trade and certainly not from the public at large. I am not an advocate of temperance by any means or of excessive drinking. I believe in moderation in drinking and other things. A great deal has been said about the intemperate habits of our people in years gone by. I maintain that people who go into public houses and spend a few shillings, spend far more wisely than people who go into cinemas to see pictures which are demoralising the youth of the country. In the case of people who go into public houses some of the money goes back directly or indirectly to the producers of the raw material used in Beamish's porter and Guinness's stout.
I think the Minister for Justice would be very well advised to withdraw this Bill altogether and put it into the waste-paper basket. The publicans of Ringsend would then give it a public funeral. As far as I can see, this Bill is brought in by the Cumann na nGaedheal Party to draw wool over the eyes of the publicans in order to get their support at the next general election.
With regard to the opening of publichouses on St. Patrick's Day, we look upon this as a national question. The people who have gone before us in the Gaelic League advocated the closing of publichouses on St. Patrick's Day. To the credit of publicans, they unanimously agreed to close those houses on St. Patrick's Day in order to celebrate the national festival in a becoming manner. A great deal has been said about people going into publichouses and drinking a few pints of porter or bottles of stout. What about the people in stately mansions and banqueting halls who spend thousands of pounds in costly liqueurs, champagnes and crusted port?
I would like to see some of the drastic regulations in the licensing laws removed. It only requires three endorsements at present to close up a publican. He automatically ceases to exist as a publican when the licence is endorsed three times, with the result that himself, his wife and family will be thrown on the side of the street to swell the ranks of the unemployed. The Minister should bring in a Bill to remove that clause.