New Developments In Beer Situation Expected Shortly

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 October 1947, Page 7

New Developments In Beer Situation Expected Shortly

Important developments in the - beer dispute which led to the boycott of hotels cn the West Coast, are expected within the next few days. Secrecy is being maintained about the shape of the pending moves, and no hint has been given beyond the fact that<they would occur shortly.

Whether the developments have any connection with the visit tb Greymouth of officers of the Price Tribunal is not clear, but it is believed that an approach to these officers has been made by members of the trade. The visitors, who include Messrs E. M. Stace (Wellington), P. E. Lovell (Christchurch), and E. J. Stock, were approached by the Evening Star today, but indicated that a minimum of publicity was required about the purpose of their visit to the West Coast. It was stated, however, that the visit was not made with any intention of investigating beer prices or the nature of the dispute. It is understood that the visits paid to various hotels in the district, particularly at Blackball, have been in connection with an application to increase the tariff charge for permanent boarders.

Debate Unlikely

The debate of the beer'dispute between the secretary of the West Coast Trades Council, Mr T. Pratt, and his challenger, Mr E. L. McKeon, licensee of the Railway Hotel, Hokitika, is not likely to take place. Mr Pratt agreed to debate on terms other than those required by Mr McKeon, and the latter has declined to agree to Mr Pratt’s conditions. Announcing his decision, Mr McKeon stated that Mr Pratt evidently sensed that “discretion is the better of valour - and sidesteps the issue, wishing to i introduce matters foreign to his utterances at the Hokitika meeting. It was on those statements,” he added, “that I issued my challenge,, and if