BEER DUTY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1859, 19 September 1913, Page 8

BEER DUTY.

SOME CHANGES IN THE LAW.

BREWERS' LICENSES.

Imder tho legislation regulating the i • 0 }!1 uor a man who desires to obtain a license has to go through many rorms, and under a fairly severe test M to character, and tho number of licenses which may bo issued is strictly limited. Under tho Beer Duty Act, however, practically no obstacles aro put ill the way of a an' who desires to manufacture beer. Upon payment of a small license fee he can demand a license from the Collector of Customs, ana the law contains practically 110 provisions empowering tho Collector to reluso tho license, and any number of licenses may bo issued in any district. An amending Bill introduced into tho ilouse of Representatives yesterday by tho Hon. J . M. B. Fisher (Minister for Customs) seeks to correct this anomaly. establishment of small breweries 011 the fringe of No-License areas, from flinch it is possiblo for beer to bo sold in small quantities for consumption a ltlnn the rso-License area, has long been a 6 r 'cvance with tho No-Liccnso : party. ilie now Bill proposes to amend tho law to provide that the Collector of Customs 111 any district shall issue no licenses without having first obtained the approval in writing of tho Minister, lliis is not to apply to tho rcnpwal of any license or to a liccnso for ia- successor in business of a previous holder of a license, or to a license issued to a person in lieu of 0110 formerjy held withm tho six mouths prior to tlio issuo of such now license. i Tho Minister is given power to detor*'lo max ' mum quantity of ljper which may bo deemed to havo been wasted or consumed .on any brewery premises, and duty shall be payable on all beer in excess which is liot accounted, for to the satisfaction! of tho Collector. The rate of 3d. per gallon imposed by the 190S Act is not altered. A penalty not exceeding £50 jis provided for every person who, removes tho bung from any casks containing beer, or who inserts in any cask'any instrument capable of being used ifor the withdrawal of the beer tlierefrom, unless the duty stamp lias been first defaced or destroyed. The method of cancelling stamps is particularised, and a now clause provides for a fine! of not more than £50 upon any person who delivers beer in bulk which is mot in casks which are properly stamped. "Beer in bulk" is defined as being in a receptaclo containing not less than one and a half gallons. 1 Regulations may be made by the Minister prescribing tho conditions under which beer may bo transferred from a brewery by Way of a pipo to a bottling store, approved by tho .Collector, for the sole purpose or bottling tho same. For a breach of these regulations n. fine of not more than £50 may be imposed, and apparatus used for tho wrongful withdrawal or transfer of ,beer from a brewery shall bo liable to' forfeiture.

Section 36 of the principal Act, permitting a brewer to send his own casks to another brewery for filling,' to' be sold elsewhere, -under the approval of the Collector, is repealed. _ _ _ In the case of hop beer licenses, it is provided' that those who sell a fermented beverage containing moro than three per cent, of proof spirits shall be deemed to have knowingly committed & brcacli of tho principal Act.