HIGHER BEER PRICES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 August 1939, Page 4

HIGHER BEER PRICES

OPERATING FROM MONDAY NEXT. WAIRARAPA DECISION. The increased duty on beer announced in the Budget will mean increases in the price of bottled beer in the Wairarapa. At a meeting in Carterton yesterday of the Wairarapa branch of the Licensed Victuallers’ Association, presided over by Mr F. Yule, it was decided to make increases to take effect throughout the Wairarapa on Monday next, August 21. There will be no change in the price of beer sold over hotel bars, but bottled beer, whether draught sold in "Square Riggers” or brewery bottled beer, will be sold as follows: Square riggers, Is 6d if own bottle filled; Is 9d if bottle supplied by hotel. Brewery bottled beer, Is 9d per single bottle, 3s 3d fur two bottles, 5s for three bottles, 6s 6d for four bottles, 10s for six bottles.

The slightly higher price of beer sold in the Wairarapa as compared with Wellington City prices is made necessary because of the added freight charges. In Wellington, hotels receive their supplies at wholesale cost delivered to the hotel cellar, whereas freight is extra to Wairarapa hotelkeepers. Actually licensees in the country districts have been penalised since the increase in railway freight rates earlier in the year, though that extra cost was not passed on to the consumer.

The minimum price of beer was raised in Wellington hotels today from 5d to 6d. The price of bottled beer has not been increased.