Hint Of Possible State Control Of Liquor Trade

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22821, 16 December 1948, Page 5

Hint Of Possible State Control Of Liquor Trade

(N.Z.P.A. —Reuter—Cory right.)

(11 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 15. In the last half-minute of his speech In the House of Commons last night on the Licensing Bill (which provides for the State management of public houses in areas where new towns are built), Mr. Herbert Morrison, Lord President of the Council, hinted at the possible nationalisation of the liquor trade, says the Daily Telegraph’s Parliamentary correspondent.

Mr, Morrison was commenting on the reported warning to the Government that the retail liquor trade, “hitherto unpolitical” would not hesitate to act on political lines if necessary.

If, said Mr. Morrison, this trade was going to make itself the instrument of political party and was going to turn every public house into a Tory committee room, it would be ill-judged and would be inviting a policy it did not want- There was no time for further explanation of Mr. Morrison’s statement before the House voted on a Conservative motion to reject the bill. It was defeated by 307 votes to 203 and the bill was read a second time. The Opposition’s case against the bill was directed largely to the fear that it was the thin edge of the wedge towards nationalisation by stages. There was also some Labour criticism of the bill and three Labour members voted against the Government.