The Liquor Trade a Monoply.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 36, 10 November 1911, Page 11

The Liquor Trade a Monoply.

Before the day of equal opportunity, and social equality dawns, all rnondpolios of every kind and of every daw gree must be destroyed. There is nothing else in the indktitrial relationshops that so destroys fchfi workers' chances in life as monopoly of any kind. There is no greater monopoly In thli country than the Liquor Traffic During last year the Drink Bill f<sw this country, at wholesale prices, w«i Three and Threequarter Millions. ASK YOURSELVES, Amongst how many individuals wera the profits of this huge transaction di-

vided? The publican- got his profit*

out of the trade, after this three and m threequarter -millions had been paid* And in how many cases has the publican an entirely free hand in the "conducting of his business ? Take Wellington, how many hotels are there in this city that are not owned and to a large extent controlled by the brewers ?, A half-dozen would probably cover them, and it is doubtful if there are

that number.

So it works out, that in the handW of a few individuals rest the source ofi supply and the means of distribution, in connection with a traffic in which. this country spends three and threequarter millions in twelve months. Then there are the usual results off monopoly, Not the least of these being that the workers under the Liquor Monopoly receive an extremely low average wagav Indeed, the employee of the Liquof Monopolist is the worst paid individual in the community. Look at these fig* ures:— Total employees in bars (and selling) > 2100. Total employees in breweries... 873 2979 These received last yesr in wages £355,000. This works out at an avert I age of a fraction over £119 8s lOd par year per worker, or about £2 5s lid per week. •,

Are the workers, whose ideal is better and fairer conditions for all classes of the community, going to allow this to continue? Will they allow this monopoly to exist and fatten at the expense of the workers-chiefly? Of ooursei it will be asked, Is the trade in which this- monopoly has been created a good one? Is it of any benefit to the community? Does it assist the worker in his work? Is it ministering to a reaJ need? If so, then the trade should be taken from the hands of a few and conducted on proper lives. But study its record in this land or any other land. It has brought devastation and misery and poverty in its train, wherever ib has existed. The individual is far better without it, and so would be the community. *

Destroy the monopoly by destroying the trade, root and branch. You have the legal power at the baßot-box oF giving it its death-blow. Let it be the

first of all monopolies to be destroy-_ cd. You can do it by striking outf the top line on both ballot papers. So free the workers of this fair Dominion of that which is a curse to community and a standing meaaoe ba all manhood.