THE BEER TAX.

Kumara Times, Issue 1328, 3 January 1881, Page 2

THE BEER TAX.

■flie interests of NelaOh brewers and Nelson beer-drinkers, are not likely Id be neglected at the hands of Mr Alfred Harley, a candidate for the vacant : seat, for the Nelson suburbs in the House of . Representatives, if he gets elected. In the Nelson Mail’s report of his address to the electors on Saturday appears the following ;—“ No«v v here’s another point which is a sore one to many., ,1 have no connection of any kind with any brewery, but I do feel the beer tax very much indeed ; I like my beer as well as any of you. [A you do, Mr Hitrtey 5 so yon do.] In the good old days, before they went in for tea and such like, Queen Elizabeth Used to have her tankark of beer brought in at every meal-. And wellbrewed beer is good honest stuff 'to drink. There’s not a hit of harm in it. Fox talks about it being poison, bnt I have known men of seventy and eighty years of age who had drank plenty of beer every day of their lives, and some* times rather too niuchj and yet w6re ag hale and hearty as younger men. Beer is the only luxury a working man has, and it’s a shame to,deity it to him : .; (cheers), and if I get In'the House, I’ll ■; go dead against the beer tax. TIvO brewers spend a lot cf money in tl»0 . place and cause a lot to be spent, and they shouldn’t be made to pay this tax. In fact they dont’ pay it, but its the working man who does. 1 shall try to get it struck off. That’s if I get in-, mind you.” It scarcely need be said (remarks the N.& Times,) that among Nelson electors these sentiments were applauded to the echo-.