INCREASED BEER PRICE ON COAST

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25304, 2 October 1947, Page 8

INCREASED BEER PRICE ON COAST

EFFECT ON TRADE YESTERDAY

From Our Own Reporter GREYMOUTH, Oct. 1. In accordance with a decision made by the licensed victuallers on the West Coast yesterday, Greymouth hotelkeepers to-r ay, with only two exceptions, charged 7d for lOoz glasses of beer, and lOd for spirits. Opposing the new charges, the West Coast Trades and Labour Council has called for the boycott of all hotels charging 7d. but hotelkeepers report no decline in business. There has been much speculation about the outcome of the position. While it was apparent that many hotelkeepers did a reasonable amount of business, it was .also apparent that there were many every-day drinkers who. at least for one day. decided to observe a beer fast. Some unions have decided to take no action, some are awaiting a reply from licensed victuallers to their protests, and others have, decided to boycott hotels. Those who have decided on boycott action ■’re i'ie| Wallsend miners id the Trades Coun-i cil, which is composed of’ representa- j tives of various industrial unions, though delegates lave not yet had time to report back to their organisations the feeling of the central organisation and the action it had agreed upon. It will be some days before a definite indication can be given of the effectiveness. or otherwise, of the bovcott proposed by the Trades Council. The Licensed Victuallers’ Association claims that the trade on the West Coast could no longer continue to sell; beer at prices below those prevailing elsewhere in the Dominion, with the | exception of a few hotels at Lyttelton, j It states that since 1942 prices at Grey-1 mouth had remained 6d a glass, while 1 7d was charged elsewhere. Prices: would still be higher elsewhere than, on the West Coast, even after the new; prices were charged. Members of the trade on the West Coast had to meet the increased costs for food and other requisites, as well as bar supplies. The Trades Council has i sked all tr-'.de unionists to boycott hotels in the Greymouth ana Hokitika districts until the increased charge is lifted. Mr T. Pratt, secretary of the Tr; !es Coun-

ci 1 said yesterdav that a further meeting- would be held on Friday evening when the campaign would be discussed and plans made for future action. Union to Discuss A’tion Asked what move would follow if the boycott was unsuccessful, Mr Pratt sai**: “Certain plans that we think will be effective have been made, but they will not be disclosed until after our meeting on Friday.” To date the Grey mouth Waterside Workers’ Union has not officially met ; to consider the resolution of the i Trades Council, .but i* is understood > that members have been asked to boy- I cott hotels in the meantime. • The! union last week discussed the new prices, but took no action pending an 1 answer from the Licensed Victuallers’ Association to a request for information about the reason for the increase. A meeting of waterside *''orkers will/ probably be held on Friday to consider official action on the Trades Council’s recommendation. Unionists at the Strongman and Wallsend mines, where more than 500 men are employed, have acted on the Trades Council’s recommendation. There was a decline in the number of customers at hotels in mining townships throughout the Grey district, and it was reported that at one mining township the local hotelkeeper had not sold one drink to miners by 3 o’clock this a'.ternoon. |

There were no reports of any illfeeling or frayed tempers as the result of the raising of the price.