NEW BEER PRICES

Grey River Argus, 6 September 1939, Page 3

NEW BEER PRICES

At Christchurch CHRISTCHURCH, August 5. A schedule of prices for beer was announced yesterday by the Canterbury Licensed Victuallers’ Association in accordance with the decision of the Price Investigation Tribunal. Ihe following charges for beer wi 1 be brought into operation in hotels m the Christchurch area from to-day: 12oz Handies 6d. Gallons ss. Riggers Is 4d. Local bottled Is 6d. Local draught bottled Is Id. The Price Investigation Tribunal fixed the price of handles at 6d in each of the four main centres, the contents to be of 12oz. No increase was made in the price of pint bottles consumed in bars, but an increase of Bd a pint bottle in Auckland bottle stores was made. The tribunal authorised.an increase of Id in the price of quart bottles and riggers and of 6d a gallon in the price of beer in the four main centres, with the stipulation that the retail price should in no case be more than 5s 6d a gollon. The tribunal added that the question of shouting had been raised, but as that had always been left to the discretion of individual licensees, it regarded the matter as outside its jurisdiction. “The association’s decision still stands,” said the secretary of the Canterbury Licensed Victuallers’ Association (Mr K. N. McGillivray) when asked what the Christchurch hotels proposed to do about shouting. “This means that shouting is to be cut out.’’ Referring to the adopted prices, Mr McGillivray said that while in Christchurch bottled beer had been sold at Is 3d, in nearly every other centre the price had been Is 6d. It was expected that in some centres, at least, the future price of bottled beer would be Is 7d. The Price Investigation Tribunal aimed at something approaching uniformity, and he thought that th eassociation’s decision to fix the price of bottled beer at Is 6d would be generally approved. The price decided upon for gallons was 6d below the maximum retail price authorised by the tribunal. Asked whether there would be any difficulty in securing adequate supplies of 12oz “handles,” Mr McGillivray said he thought there would be no shortage after a day oi' so. It might be difficult for some hotels to meet their full requirements immediately.