LIGHTENING THE BLOW.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1008, 1 July 1909, Page 20

LIGHTENING THE BLOW.

AUCKLAND LICENSED VICTUALLERS ACT WITH CHARACTERISTIC GENEROSITY A pleasing feature of the situation caused by the operation of the “ NoLicense ” and “ Reduction ” votes, is the action taken by the members of the Auckland Licensed Victuallsrs Association, who, with the view of lightening the blow that has fallen upon the licensees of the five hotels closed in the city have subscribed amongst themselves the sum of £lOOO, which is to be equally divided amongst the hotelkeepers affected. Some of the brewers interested have acted with similar generosity, ' returning the licenses of the closed hotels the proportion of the money paid for the goodwill, which would be, in the ordinary nature of business allocated to the unexpired term of the house. In the case of a licensee who had paid say £lOOO for a five years lease of a house now closed, the lease of which has three or four years to run, the return made by the brewers to the lessee would be £6OO to £BOO, according to the unexpired term of

the lease. In view of the fact that the losses involved by the closing of the 24 hotels In the Auckland Pro vince are expected to total between £BB,OOO and £90,000 sterling, and that the brewers are called upon to bear by far the greater burden of the loss, such action on their part is all the more commendable.