The Label That Tells a Lie.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 October 1922, Page 4

The Label That Tells a Lie.

There is to he found on bottles of spirits now being sold a red label healing the following little fairy story : | “Protect your revenue -Is llsd duty i paid on this bottle.” I On Jaiiuarv 6th this year the New Zealand Times” stated that eighteen months’ to two years’ supplies ot spirits had been taken liv the liquor traffic out of bond at the old rate of duty, namely 18s per gallon. This is less than 2s 6d per bottle duty. It will be seen, therefore, that the liquor party’s label tells a lie when it states that practically 5s duty has been paid oil the contents of the bottle. The liquor traffic is now selling the spirits that it took out of bond at the old rate of duty and upon which ft had paid only 2s 6d per bottle duty. In January this year a statement was published all over New Zealand showing that on the basis of the “New Zealand Times” report the liquor traffic stood to gain Cl ,500,000 clear profit by charging customers the extra dutv on spirits which the liquor traffic bad not paid. That statement has never been denied. On the strength of increased duties which they had not paid the liquor traffic raised the price of spirits 2s 6>d per bottle to the consumer, hi addition to this, whisky was costing -Is 7d per gallon loss in 1321 than it did in 1920. This economy in price means, on the 1921 year’s imports no less than C 164,000 clear profit. Whisky costing 36s 3d per gallon. 5s 3d per bottle, including duty, when sold bv the nip yields to the liquor traffic 21s per bottle or C 7 7s per gallon. No wonder the liquor traffic can afford to spend hundreds of thousands in enormous advertising and in the payment of canvassers in the effort to maintain its monopoly and secure another three years in which to pinner drinkers. Strike out the Two Top l,j ni , R _X.Z. Alliance Publicity. 167).