WHOLESALE LIQUOR LICENCE TO MR S. G. HIRST

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 78, 4 August 1950, Page 5

WHOLESALE LIQUOR LICENCE TO MR S. G. HIRST

ROTORUA, yesterday. Mr S. G. Hirst, a licensed wine seller and beer agent, Whakatane, has been granted a wholesale liquor licence to sell spirituous liquors at his premises in King Street, Whakatane. This decision was reached by the Bay of Plenty Licensing Committee yesterday when it con-

sidered 11 applicants for the licence recommended the district recently by the Licensing Commission. Mr Hirst was represented by Mr B. S. Barry. The granting of this licence will How enable Mr Hirst to buy, stock and sell any New Zealand or imported wines and beer and also any

kind of spirits. He expects to be granted an import licence and will then be able to import liquor direct, either in bulk or bottled, to Whakatane. This establishment of a wholesale $ liquor business in the town now . means a greater variety of beer and wines being available to Wfyaka-i tane people. Although spirits will

still be scarce they will not be so difficult to obtain. No drinking will be allowed on the premises and the minimum that may be purchased is two gallons of anything. That means beer must be bought by at least a

•dozen bottles a time. However, this 1 may include wine or spirits in the dozen. As long as the total quany tity of liquor purchased, irrespective of what it is, totals two gallons.

From inquiries made with wholesale merchants in other centres it is likely that liquor of every kind will be much cheaper. in the district, than has been , the case in the past. Beer will probably cost from 21s to 24s a dozen; wine from 7s 6d to 12s 6d a bottle, liqueurs 12s 6d to 37s a bottle and spirits from 21s

to 26s a bottle. Yesterday Mr Hirst said that he was naturally very pleased to have been granted licence. He expected it would take about a month to get into business and probably the remainder of the year to become properly established. He said he thought he would have to employ more staff to be able to operate •efficiently.