A PROHIBITION CATECHISM

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 69, 21 March 1919, Page 4

A PROHIBITION CATECHISM

COMPENSATION TO LIQUOR TRADE. IS IT A GOOD BUSINESS DEAL FOR THE COUNTRY? Question: What will be the actual cost of l ompensation, leaving all GAINS through Prohibition out of account? Ans. Even assuming that the maximum compensation of £4,0<Xi,00(l has to be paid, it will be met by a charge of -2.-iO.OOO a •oar. covering interest and sinking fund. At the end of 3a years the whole amount will be wiped out by the sinking fund and nothing more will have to be paid. Q. What dees this cost per head of the population*' Ans. On our present population It means an annual charge of 4 6 per head. B_fore the end of the :«i years our population will have doubled. The annual charge per head will therefore gradually fall until it reaches probably 2 per head before the end of the ('. What are the advantages expected from 1-roliibiii.Ji: iv return for this small un_u_j charge: Ans. Careful e*.timates put reduced taiati"ii at anything from tl lo £2 per annum per head of the population. If American experience is repeated here, it will be much more than ibis. In addition to this the income of tbe community will be Increased by £Ri L. £18 per annum per head of the population. (j. ls the position then (li that we risk an annual payment of 4 0 i»*r head, falling to alx.ut _ per bead of po'Hiliitlon in ityears, and after that have nothing inure to "pay? aud that Ci) in return we may expect tl 1.. l 2 per head reduced taxation, and 13; that we gain t'lo to i'ls per bead Increased income each year for all time? Ans. Yes. that states the true position. it looks like the soundest business deal that has ever been put before tbe country. Q. Wh.. will get the Compensation? Ans. Compensation ls limited to £4.1500.000. It cannot exceed this amount. Indeed, It ls estimated that It will Dot exceed £'._(X>,UOO; but lo be on the safe side it Is better to assume that the lua-lumui amount has to be paid. Supposing that it does, It amounts to L4.-»io,*JOW. A careful estimate shows that it will' be distributed as follows: — 1200 Hotels and their Employees £3.680,000 ", Breweries and their Unployees 5110,000 Wholesale. Wine and Spirit Merchants. Wlnemakers. 'Maltsters, 'Hop Kilns. Vlnevards. and their Employees _JSO.OOO .4,r*00,0y0

STRIKE OUT THE TOP LINE ON THURSDAY, APRIL 10.

For further information on Compensation see last two issues of tMs paper. NOTE. If J ou require any information regarding rrobibition. or if there U aDj .jtiestion you woald like answered, write or ivlre •■ATjoUtlon,' - Box 05, G.T.0., Welljostoa.