LICENSING REFORM

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 135, 5 December 1930, Page 15

LICENSING REFORM

In the course of a letter criticising statements by the Licensing Reform Association, Mr. J. Malton Murray, the genera] Secretary of the New Zealand Alliance, writes:— "Its annual report assures us that Prohibition in the U.S.A. 'has so far been found unenforceable,' and that similar conditions exist in Finland under Prohibition-. This is not tnie. If Prohibition were unenforceable, then the breweries and distilleries would be openly manufacturing intoxicating liquors for sale, and the saloons would be back on the public streets and corner lots openly selling intoxicating liquor wtihout interference. But even the L.X.A. will have to admit that such is not the position in the U.S.A. or Finland, and therefore its statement is not in accordance with fact. The L.X.A. calls on us to admire the gratifying growth in temperance in Great Britain. Two important factors in that development are the excise duty of 72s 6d per gallon on spirits, and Is 7d per gallon on beer, as against 40s and Is respectively in .New Zealand. Are we to understand that the L.X.A. advocates the raising of New Zealand Customs and excise on liquors to the British level? Bishop H. XV. Williams, ex-president of the L.R.A., said recently that we are spending far too much on intoxicating liquor. He is right. In a time of economic depression such as this, drastic reduction of luxury and wasteful expenditure is vitally necessary. But the new president of the L.RiA., the Rev. P. T. Williams, is recommending the Carlisle system, which certainly docs not reduce expenditure on intoxicating liquor. . . . Moreover, under the Carlisle, system, private interest was entirely eliminated, the State became brewer and vendor, profits were not distributed to shareholders, but went,direct into the Treasury. Are we to understand that it is this form of State purchase that the L.X.A. now proposes to advocate? Pending a reply, it is appro-, priatc to point out that since the last poll the L.It.A. has done just exactly nothing in the direction of licensing 'reform.'"