BEER DUTY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1892, 29 October 1913, Page 4

BEER DUTY.

A DEPARTMENTAL BILL, AN INCREASE DISCUSSED. .Tho Hon. F. M. B. FISHER (Minister of Customs) moved tho aeCund readme of tho Beer Duty Amendment Bill. He said tho. Bill was mainly a Departmental measure to safeguard the collection of beer duty, and to regulate the establishment of breweries near tho boundaries of No-License areas. This Bill would give tho Minister, and through the Minister would givo Parliament, the right to control the issue of new brewers' licenses. Tlio Bill was not retrospective in any way. Generally tlio measure was a technical Bill, and had been dfaftod to meet with Departmental difficulties. More Beer Duty Wanted. Mr. G. V. PEARCE (Patea) said he. regretted that 'tho Bill contained no mention of increaso in tho excise duty on beer. Ho would move in Committee an amendment to givo tho House an opportunity of saying whether tho duty should or should not bo doubled. Ho regarded tlio beer manufacture as 0110 of tlio worst monopolies in tlio country, earning hugo profits, and tho monopoly was made worso by tho fact that all over tho country tho brewers had bought up tho hotels or tho goodwills of the leases. Hotelkcopcrs wero put into houses at high rents, witli licavy mortgages, and they were tied up to deal with the brewers owning the houses. This increaso of taxation would provide an extra revonuo of £120,000, and it would not increase tho price of beer to tho consumer. It would only reduce the goodwill of hotels, which had appreciated enormously. Mr. J. V. BROWN (Nnpior) criticised some details of the Bill. Mr. A. HARRIS (Waitomatn) said that ho was disappointed at the Bill containing no mention of an increase in duty. He considered that tho duty should'be incroascd from threepence to sixpence per gallon. This would not increaso tho price of the working-man's beer. Mr. L. 51- ISITT (Christchurch North) . said that lie considered it would be a wise step to increaso the duty on beer. There was no doubt that ,yerj }as&% profits Agpa,

A member: No profit in drinking it. Mr. Isitt: No. thero is no profit in drinking it. That means hob-nailed liver, fatty degeneration of tlio heart, and a uoso liko a danger signal in a dark night. It was a pity, ho continued, that tho Minister liad not accepted tho numerous hints tendered him to bring down a proposal to increase tlio duty on boor. Land Tax Again. Mr. 11. G. ELL (Cliristohurch South) agreed that if there was 0110 thing that could stand an increase of taxation it was beer. Ail hon. member: And land. Mr. Ell: And land. Mr. I'earee: You increased the tax 011. land last year. Mr. Ell: Wo could charge a great deal more on land, lio added that when tho Houso was considering an increaso in excise duty on beer, it should also consider tho,reduction of Customs duties 011 articles of common necessity. Mr. T. M. WILFORD (Hutt) said ho had always believed the Bill was being introduced to help tho largo landowners, and when ho heard tho speech of the member for Patea ho was sure of it. The idea, was to get moro revenue, to relievo tho land from increased burdens. He thought some clauses dealing with licensing questions should bo attached to tho Bill in amend-' inents, for such taxation was certainly needed. Mr. J. A. YOUNG (Waikato) said lie wculd make bold .to 'suggest that tho biewer would not pay any increaso in the beer duty. Tho brewer would add to his soiling price, and pass the duty on to The latter would pcrfiaps~not be able to get a higher price, but lio could either give less beer for tliat price or adulterate tho beer in some way. Ho also suggested that the No-License people, by urging an increase in beer duty, were 011. dangerous giound, in that they were increasing the dependence of tho State 011 liquor revenue. "THE GREATEST CURSE." PLAIN TALK FROM THE MINISTER. The Hon. F. M. B. FISHER, in reply, Eaid ho had heard tlio statement of the member for Patea with considerable satisfaction. At last a very largo monopoly which had escaped taxation for thirty-three years had reached a stage at which a Government, which did not piotect monopolies, would see that it did not escape taxation any longer. (Hear, hear.) Ho wished to put on record a few figures relating to the brewing -industry. In 1906 the number of breweries in tlio Dominion was 72, 111 1911 the number was reduced to 60 Tho monopoly had increased. 111 19(1!! tho 72 breweries employed 731 ■ hands, who were paid £92,308 in wages. li. 1911 tho 60 breweries employed 741 hands, and paid £109,544 in wages. Iu 1906 tho 72 breweries produced 7,373,362 gallons of beer, and in 1911 tho 60 breweries produced 9,582,790 gal* lous. In 1906 the 72 breweries paid £103,986 in beer duty: in 1911, tho 60 breweries, paid £119,187. Tho total duty collected on .beer last year, at tho late of 3d. per gallon, was £122,000. An additional 3d. per gallon would produce another' £122,000. The subscribed capital of tho 60 breweries was about half a million, he believed, but the figures wcro very difficult to get. But tho annual profits were a quarter of a million a year, excluding entirely tho revenue from tho goodwill and rent of publichouscs. Tho manufacturers' profits of the brewers, so far as ho eould get tho figures, were a quartor of a million a year, and in order to earn that piofit. of a quarter of 4 million a year they paid £109,0(10 a year in wages. Mr. Brown: What about tho runholderS,- . i ... , . Mr, Fisher: I hold no brief for the runholder; but there is this in his favour: he does not manufacture lunatics and criminals. Tho brewer by his trade, he continued', caused not only large increased expenditure 011 charitable aid l , in expenditure on prisons and mental asylums and in hospital returns, but ho imposed 011 publicans conditions which mado them criminals. Sometimes they were caught in breach® of the law, but more often they were not. Tlio brewing monopoly was tho greatest curse that had oven oome to this country.

[ Mr. Brown: Tlio brewers don't want a monopoly. Mr. I'ishor; But they have got it, and they have paid for it, and thoy will spend £100,000 at 0110 clcction to keep it. Thoy will Also send for donations from outsido to 'help them to defend their vested interests. _ Tho House would have all opportunity of discussing all this later, and lie would bo very glad to enter tho lists with the member for Napier. Ho was quite sure that tho member for Christchurch North would assist him (Mr. Fisher) in tho contest. Under a critical analysis this trade would bear least examination. A mam might own live million acres of land, but ho would ruil a sheep on every aero of it, and he did not manufacture poverty and vico. Ho did not manufacture criminals, ho did not bring about divorces or family dissensions} or a hundred and one evils of that kind associated with tho liquor trade. If tho mcidber for Patea moved his timend- ! ment, ho would find that it would meet with support. Ho would find that this monopoly was going to receive a Parliamentary check, that Parliament would allow the people to impose upon tho trado a check which publio opinion alono could l imposo upon it. Ho hoped that later in the session there would' be opportunities afforded _ the membor for Napier of defending his trado. The Bill was read a second time on the voices. SCIENCE AND ART. PAKOCHIAL ISSUES. RAISED - Tho Hon. F. M. B. FISHER moved that the Science and Art Bill (read a secojid time pro forma) bo committed. He explained that the object of the Bill was to provide for tho placing of our National Museum, Art Gallery, and Library under a permanent control, and to empower the Government to provide a suitablo building wherein to house the State collections. Before concluding his brief explanation of the Bill he expressed his gratitude to tho late Director of tho Museum, Mr. Augustus Hamilton, for his valuable services as Director of tho Musoum, and especially in assisting the committee 011 tho Bill. Sir. G. M,' J THOMSON (Dunedin North) said ho believed he had originated tho idea embodied in the Bill, of setting up a, scientific Board of Advice under whose guidance and control certain scientific publications of tlio Government, now buried in Blue Books arid lost to tho public, could be published separately. From this idea had como about the Bill. Ho discussed the need for better housing of tho Dominion Museum, and especially the trophies which wero records of tho previous history of our country. Ho advocated tho establishment of a central National Art Gallery. Wellington had boon more backward than tlio other centres in giving funds for a museum and an art gallery. lie, therefore, thought it might bo of advantage to have established a local Board of . Control. Tho Hon. D. BUDDO (Kaiaiwi) deplored tho fact that our valunoKf'siorc of relics was still housed at great risk oi" destruction by firo, in a wooden building. Ho lioped that tho t-iov-r-rnment would at an early .dato bring down proposals for tho erection of a. buiiding commodious enough to meet ail needs for manv years to come.

Suggested Amendments. Mr. J. S. DICKSON (I'arnellj said that tlio momhor lor Auckland Ji.a.sti (Mr. llyers) had, prior to his departure, asked iiim to movo two amendments. One of them the Minister had agreed to accept. It provided that all pictures purchased .with public funds

should bo available for exhibition during tlireo months in the year in of tho chief centres of tlio Dominion. Tlio other amendment provided that monoy voted by Parliament for tho acquisition of works of art should bo divided equally between tlio four chief cities. He hoped members would support both amendments, ''Auckland's Share." Mr. J. H. BItADNEY (Auckland West) remarked that thoro was a saying about Providence always helping thoso who helped themselves. Auckland had helped itself very considerably in tlio matter of purchasing works of art and folt that it ought to havo somo State aid. Mr. Fisher: You got State aid till half-past four this morning I Mr. Bradney protested that members wero wasting tho timo of tho House. "I must get this off," ho said. Mr. Brown: Look what tho breivors havo done for Auckland. Mr. Fishor: Look what Auckland has dono for tho brewers. Mr. Bradnoy said that Auoklan'd only wanted its fair share. An Absurd Proposal. Mr. G. W, RUSSELL (Avon) characterised as absurd tho proposal to exhibit pictures for three months in each of tho three chief centres. It might bo reasonably to send tho pictures to largo exhibitions organised from timo to timo or oven to tho annual exhibition •of the art societies. VVitli other members who had spofam, he deeply regretted tho death of Mr. A. Hamilton, Director of tho Dominion Museum. Tho now museum and art gallery should not bo erected at Mount j Cook, but on the. site of tho old muj soum. Mr. Russell commended tho valuable work dono by Mr. G. M. Thomson as Chairman of tho Science and Art Committee. Finally, he stated that ho oocply regretted tho parochialism which had been displayod, particularly on behalf of Auckland. The other cities wero doing well, and wero gathering good collections. Still ho thought it was an unreasonable thing to ask tho Government to spend tho samo amount of money on local collections as it proposed to devote to the national collection in Wellington. They should not take a parochial view. Parliament was concerned with a national collcction, ana not with local gallorios. Mr. A. E. GLOVER (Auckland Centra!) said that be had been requested by flic Mayor of Auckland and others to oppose tho Bill. Ho differed entirely from Mr. Russell's views. Tho motion to go into Committee was c/irriod on tho voices at 11 p.m. The short title having been passed, progress was reported, and tho House rose at li.l p.m.