BEER BOYCOTT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26632, 1 December 1947, Page 6

BEER BOYCOTT

PRINCIPLE INVOLVED COMBATING PRICE RISES i MEETINGS IN DUNEDIN TO-NIGHT To review the whole position relating to the West Coast “beer boycott” issue, meetings of the Otago Trades Council and the Otago executive of tije Transport Workers’ Federation will be held in Dunedin to-night. Giving this information to the Daily Times on his return from Wellington last night. Mr W. B. Richards, Dominion president of the transport workers, said that the affair was far more serious than people seemed to think. The whole principle of price control was involved. Mr Richards said that a report on. the latest developments would be given to the Trades Council by Mr R. Mclntyre, a national councillor. The posi-i tion had been explained fully to the' brewery concerned by the secretary of the New Zealand Transport Workers’ Federation, Mr P. A. Hansen. Officials of the brewery had promised that their decision would be available by to-day, Mr Richards said, and the -discussions to-night would centre largely on that (decision. The brewery officials knew the position thoroughly, Mr Richards added. Mr Hansen had conducted a long telephone conversation with the secretary of the brewery on Friday, when a promise was given that the brewery company’s, decision would be made known by Monday at the latest. The Daily Times was told by an official of the brewery last night that he had nothing to say in the meantime.

Mr Richards said that the need for price control to be tightened up seemed to be recognised by the people, but they were not doing anything about it. The West Coast miners, however, were doing something to remedy the position, Mr Richards declared. “We were told in Wellington that the Price Tribunal would soon be asked to authorise an increase in the price of beer from 7d to Bd, even though this report has been denied by the hotelkeepers,” he said. “The West Coast miners are doing something definite to combat the general rise iu prices. Because it is beer that is involved the matter should not be taken lightly.” Mr Richards claimed that Otago was vitally interested in the situation. Coal supplies for gas were necessary for Dunedin from the West Coast, and, reciprocally, the Coast needed supplies of beer from Dunedin.