THE REVENUE QUESTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18721, 27 November 1922, Page 5

THE REVENUE QUESTION

A PROHIBITIONIST’S CHALLENGE. CHEQUE FOR £IOOO LODGED. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED BY THE TRADE. (Special to Times.) OAMARU, November 26. Interest has been added to the forthcoming liquor poll by the issue of a challenge by Mr Robert Milligan, a prominent citizen and zealous prohibitionist. Mr Milligan took exception to the widely-circulated statement of the liquor trade that prohibition would mean a loss of £2,500,000 of revenue, now derived through liquor taxation (vide the “case for continuance”) and offered £260 to anyone who could prove the truth of this statement. A few days passed without the challenge being accepted, and Mr Milligan wrote to the press in this strain: ”1 challenge the trade to prove that the dominion has over received such a sum in any year in Customs and excise duties on spirits, wines, and beer. I lodged with you the sum of £250 to be handed over to any person furnishing the proof. Up to the present I understand no one has claimed this money. Being curious to know why, i asked a friend if he could explain it, and ho staled that probably the reason why there were no acceptances was that the stake was not big enough. It will be disappointing, sir, if there are no starters. I have no objection, therefore, to increasing the stake to £IOOO, so I beg to enclose my cheque for the additional £750. To avoid any unseemly scrambling for the stake I made the stipulation that first past the post will be the winner.” The sequel comes in the response by the trace, and in last night’s paper appears the following counter challenge over the signature of Air Roy S. Johnston, organiser Provincial Council of Otago Licensed Trade. £2,600,000 liquor revenue, and Air Robert Milligan s £IOOO challenge. "If Air Alilligau will adjust his challenge to (ho exact terms of ‘the case for continuance,’ from which he quotes, then I am directed by my council to say that it will have pleasure in lodging its cheque for £IOOO, the loser to pay that sura over to the funds of the Oamaru Hospital.' The trade’s statements are made on existing conditions, and if those conditions obtain in the future then the challenge is valid. The statement in ‘the case for continuance’ is such a moderate one that my council is willing to increase the challenge to £2OOO, if Air Robert Alilligan so desires. There is no necessity for further correspondence on this matter. Air Milligan may communicate with my council’s bankers (Bank of New Zealand) at any time prior to the 6th proximo.”

There the matter stands. Naturally, considerable interest has been aroused by the issue of the challenge and counter challenge.