CARRIAGE OF LIQUOR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2011, 5 August 1919, Page 3

CARRIAGE OF LIQUOR.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF RAILWAYS. Wanganui, Aug. 4. The Wanganui Chamber of Commerce has received a reply from the Minister of Railways as the out- ! come of a question whether liquor was regarded as being in the essential class during the restricted railway service. “In my opinion, liquor cannot be treated in the same way as other goods, essential or non-es-sential/’ states the Hon. W. H. Berries. “The carriage of liquor is so intimately connected with the licensing .question and the licensing law that it must be placed on a different footing to other goods. I cannot, on behalf of the Railway Department, take upon myself the responsibility of un action enforcing prohibition in country districts, with a further possibility of licensees forfeiting their licenses for not supplying that which they obtained their licenses for. At the last licensing poll the people decided that licenses are to be continued, and it is not for the Railway Department to do anything that might possibly militate against that determination. Meanwhile, instructions have been issued to limit as far as possible the consignment of liquor to only absolutely necessary cases.” The Minister added that Cabinet had not come to any decision in the matter.