PRICE OF BEER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23883, 10 August 1939, Page 9

PRICE OF BEER

NO MORE SHOUTING RETAILERS ADVISED OF INCREASES TO BE PASSED ON TO PUBLIC Those who like their glass of beer, and they are quite a few, have been wondering since Mr Savage introduced the Budget last week just what the increase in beer duty from Is 3d to Is 9d a gallon was going to mean to them. They were not sufficiently optimistic to expect that it would not ultimately be passed on to them, and they are not to be disappointed in that expectation. Hotel-keepers have received advice that quarts are to be increased bv Is 2d, pints by 7d, and nips by 3ld a dozen respectively. Bulk beer and stout are to go up by £1 7s a large cask plus an additional Is 4d sales tax, 18s a medium cask plus lid" sales tax, and on a pro rata scale for smaller casks and kegs. The intimation from brewers and bottlers was that these increases would operate from yesterday. Manufacturing costs have increased considerably in the past few years, a reporter was told in explanation of the increases, and it had been found necessary to pass the extra duty and sales tax on to the hotels.

The manner of dealing with this obstacle has not yet been finally decided by the hotelkeepers, but a meeting of the Licensed Victuallers' Association yesterday agreed unanimously that the abolition of bar " shouting" would have to be one of the expedients adopted. The president of the association (Mr Charles Hinchcliff) told a reporter that this would have to be accompanied by a price increase, and that the new order of things would come into effect in the very near future.

"The hotel-keepers have been notified that the recent increase in the beer duty was from yesterday being passed on to them," he said, " and at a largely attended meeting of retailers yesterday a motion was carried approving of the abolition oi shouting in bars. Further decisions were adjourned to a later meeting, but whatever additional decisions are made will be put into effect very soon. The association will meet again next week." No More Fourpenny Drinks No further information was available officially, but it was said with some authority that those who buy their beer by the bottle will in future have to pay Is 6d instead of Is 3d and that those who favour fourpenny beers will no longer be able to enjoy their luxury in that fashion. In addition, the future of counter-lunches appears to be in jeopardy. Apparently the only probable increase in the price of beer over the counter is that there will be no more fourpennies. A reduction in the size of glasses has been considered against the abolition of shouting; but not until the association meets to finalise its decisions will the full facts of the position as it affects the beerdrinker be known. Retailers have been given the opportunity by the breweries to bring their stocks up to the full quota, the reporter was informed, so that there was no desperate hurry to bring the new regulations into force. Probably it would be about August 21 before the increases were passed on to the public. POSITION IN AUCKLAND LICENSED VICTUALLERS TO MEET TO-DAY PRICE INCREASE LIKELY rPEH United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Aug. 9. To determine the future price of beer, the Auckland Licensed Victuallers' Association will meet tomorrow. An increase of 6d a gallon on the excise duty was imposed _by the Government last week and following discussions between representatives of the Auckland brewing firms the advance in the tax has now been passed on to the trade in the form of 'higher wholesale prices. The action taken by the manufacturers was regarded as almost inevitable, as it was stated that the industry had already carried tlie burden of higher wrges and dearer materials without increasing the price of products. They were not in a position to carry the further impost of 6d a gallon. _ To hotelkeepers buying their supplies in large quantities, the payment of the higher duty in the form of increased wholesale prices represents a large aggregate sum. The question of whether it should be passed on to consumers is to be discussed at the meeting and in some quarters it is considered probable that the retail prices will be increased, at least in regard to bottled beer.