A BLOW AT THE BREWERS. "Tied" Houses Once More.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 211, 16 July 1904, Page 6

A BLOW AT THE BREWERS. "Tied" Houses Once More.

FOR the third time John Riggs bold blow at the bloated brewer, "The Tied Houses Bill" is resounding through the House of "Lords " On two previous occasions this awful interference with the nghts of the "public" has been ignommiously booted from the legislative halls. If we were asked what action would most effectively put the sale of liquor on a fair basis, and lessen what little intemperance there may be in New Zealand, we would reply the passing of a bill which cut the licensee adrift from his lord, the brewei— a bill that makes it illegal for a biewer to own licensed premises, a bill to kill the largest monopoly in a country whose political head has sworn "war to the knife against monopolies * * If the brewers of New Zealand do supply good liquor to their dependents, the licensees, they are not bound to The licensees are bound to take liquor, good or bad, from their masters, they are restricted from buying m the best market, and they are bound hand and^ foot^ Sweep the country clean of "tied" houses, and you purify the trade The publican whose soul was his own, and who could buy his liquor where he liked, would have to keep good stxiff in order to live. * * He could boycott the brewer who refused to sell what he wanted, and pcor suffering Bung, if he had a penchant for adulteration, would emphatically "go down." It would be a decided financial hardship to Bung. He could only own one licensee if he wanted to keep it He couldn't place his hard-earned thousands into other "pubs." He would have to divert his capital to other uses, and the country would flourish like the rose Less "tanglefoot" would be on the market, and brewing would become an art, not a conspiracy J * * * Frankly, one can't expect that John Riggs bill has any better chance today than it had two years ago, but one, can at least rejoice that an attempt has been made to upset the greatest of all monopolies in the colony. Again, the withdrawal of the licensed nouses from the hands of the brewers might be the means of making it possible for a publican's "goods" to be sold at a reasonable price. "Pony," "medium," "long 'un " "pint," "nobbier," and "tooth-

ful" are all sixpence now Why ? If one pays 3d for a loaf, one expects to get a loaf, and not an outside crust. * *■ * A glass of beer is woith anything from a half-penny to a penny, and the fact that it always brings in sixpence is the reason why brewers can afford to* build palaces, and live a highly "swell" existence We hope that bold bill will make its appearance every session until the Legislature gets tired of seeing it In which case it can be comfortably hidden away in the statute-book, which, although unduly fat, might be stretched for just that one excellent law