MOVE FOR ELIMINATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 31 January 1939, Page 9

MOVE FOR ELIMINATION

ACTION BV LICENSED VICTUALLERS INCREASED COSTS A FACTOR fUnited Press Association 1 WELLINGTON, This Day. The opinion that, if New Zealand hotelkeepers did not voluntarily cease “shouting” drinks and providing free counter lunch, they would be forced to do so by economic conditions was expressed by the president of the Licensed V ictuallers’ Association of New Zealand, Mr T. Coltman, yesterday. The executive of the association, Mr Coitman said, believed that the time had arrived when something must be done to meet increased costs. The cost of food had increased 20 to 30 per cent., and that of labour almost the same amount. The price of liquor to the public, however, had not been increased. By eliminating the practice of “shouting,” licensees, after all, would not be asking the public to pay more for their drinks; they would merely be retaining something that already belonged to them. The average working man to-day was getting higher wages, and it wan only fair that licensees should be paid for what they put over the counter. ‘Shouting,’ said Mr Coitman, “is a pernicious practice wTncii does not exist anywhere in the world except New Zealand. In Australia the giving of free counter lunch is absolutely prohibited by the Licensed Victuallers’ Association.’’ Mr Coitman added that the association was trying to obtain uniformity, and the result would rest with the licensees themselves.