CORPORATE CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 298, 15 September 1927, Page 11

CORPORATE CONTROL

Sir,—l am glad to have the opportunity of asking the secretary of the L.R.A. some questions on corporate control because the answers thereto should prove instructive to your readers. I number the questions for convenience of reference in reply. 1. Does the liquor trade propose to eell itself its own business and give gome of it away for nothing? 2. If corporate control means State control without State expenditure, will the secretary of the L.R.A kindly tell us why Mr. A. S. Bankart, brewer, declared that corporate control “would in- * volve State purchase by a corporation with statutory powers”? 3. Has the liquor trade given the Government a legal and binding guarantee that the adoption of corporate control shall not involve any present or future expenditure by the State? 4. The licensed victuallers, on the L.R.A.’s own admission, do not concur in the corporate control proposals. B v what right and under whoso authority does the L.R.A. offer the Government one-fifth share in the business of the licensed victuallers? . 5. Is it not true that, under this scheme, the Government is to be awarded bonds or shares that will bo worth to it just nothing for ten years, and that if prohibition is carried at the end of ten years, then the Government will get nothing at all? Or is it intended that when prohibition is carried the Government shall be entitled to one-fifth of the material assets of the trade? . . 6. Is it not true that during that ten years the trade is guaranteed a dividend of 10 per cent, on a greatly inflated capital? 7. Will the bonds issued under the corporate control scheme be marketable? . , , 8. Will the bonds so issued lapse without liability for compensation ‘o bo paid by the State if prohibition is carried ? . 9. Under the scheme somebody is to guarantee the trade hn amount equal to three years* profits. Who guarantees the trade that sum? If the Secretary of the Licensing Reform Association will give your readers concise and clear answers to die above questions the ground will be c>eared for a full elucidation of the . orporate control proposals. Just a word in conclusion, tombing “Blue Sundays.” lam not prepared to accept the accuracy of the cablegram recently published ou this point until I have heard from the Anti-Saloon League. Wo have had inspired and misleading cablegrams before this. But I would like to ask the secretary of the L.R.A. if he knows of anything that produces more “black’’ Sundays for innocent wives and children than the liquor traffic. —I am ; etc., J. MALTON MURRAY, , Executive Secretary,, / N. Z. Alliance. Wallington, September 7.