THE ROYAL COMMISSION

White Ribbon, Volume 17, Issue 4, 18 May 1945, Page 3

THE ROYAL COMMISSION

By "One Who Looked On."

And so the promises are at last fulfilled. We have the Royal Commission on Licensing at work. An impressive l»ody of mc:» and one woman, although one may legitimately object to the presence of one who has so long been connected with the Trade as Secretary of the National Council of the Licensed Trade.

A witness is giving evidence, perhaps the head of a Government Department. Seventeen departments have submitted statements and they arc all led by Mr. J. D. Willis. And the Chairman, Mr. Justice Smith, turns to Mr. F. C. Spratt, leading counsel for the Alliance, to begin his cross-exami-nation. A series of questions follows, all designed to find out more about those secrets of the trade which have so long lived in obscurity. And from the mouths of the witnesses comes a story that makes one gasp at what has been happening. One hears, for instance, of a brewery that evaded taxation for twelve years and then is found to have evaded £9,(80 taxation, and a paltry fine is inflicted* although the Act provides that the fine shall lie three times the value of the goods in respect of which the offence has lietn committed. Only for two or three years has the tax been 3/- per gallon, so you can work out for yourself what the fine could have been! Then we hear something of the way in which two firms have purchased huge quantities of spirits of wine, commercial alcohol, and used it for the manufacture of synthetic gin! One wonders what was the reason given for the issue of an import licence! Perhaps essential use—and then used for this i>oisonous drink. We hear of recommendations about the wastage to be allowed and how one brewery is allowed 10 per cent, and yet their wastage on a production in excess of four million gallons is only 21 per cent. One calculates somewhere aliout three hundred thousand gallons a year extra. A useful profit when the sale price must l>e aliout 10/- per gallon. And so the evidence goes on, each one adding some piece to the rapidly expanding piece of mosaic against the traffic. No wonder is it that Mr. O’Leary, the leading counsel for the Trade says that they are in the position of defendants. We know they have enough to defend ! One hears another witness suggest that the King Country Pact is non-existent, that it is the result of Alliance propaganda, and then the quiet questioning of Mr. Spratt, and the definite statement that there is evidence in plenty for the Pact. Behind it all is the question addressed by the Chairman to the Commis-

sioner of Police, when he asked if he could gi\e some indication of the general uneasiness in the minds of the people, an uneasiness that w’as the cause of the setting up of the Commission. And the Commissioner’s reply al>out the unreasoiiablcnes of so many people w'ho will do anything to break the law and consider that it is smart to do so. And so the days go, the Counsel for the Alliance proving, for instance, through their questions, the bad state of the New Zealand wine trade, and having the admission of the wine expert that much of the w*ne sold in New Zealand would be considered in other countries as unfit for drinking ! These and many other facts make us believe that were they known generally, there would be a different story to tell at the elections. But they have l>een so carefully hidden and only now are being dragged out into the light. What a sorry spectacle they present! One wonders how any man can possibly lend his aid to the continuing of such a business, and for many days yet must the enquiry proceed until all the tacts are laid bare. And yet behind that enquiry is the will of the people—and to keep it going, as far as Temperance forces are concerned must be our aim. I lielieve that every thinking person will want to be in on this fight and wc can lie. through our prayers, our financial assistance. This little account is written by request and in the hope that this movement will get in behind the Tmperance Forces in a more definite way and loyally do their part in discovering the facts, so long and so deliberately hidden For what you can do, please apply to your local secretary. I am sure she will be able to tell you! God i* with us in this matter—why, therefore, arc we so hesitant and so afraid!