CHEAP BEER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2616, 25 September 1909, Page 2

CHEAP BEER.

PUBLICANS’ RIVALRY CAUSED BY THE BUDGET.

THE BREWERS DEFIED.-

A great beer war was raging last nffiht in Poplar and Canning Town (says the London . “Daily News” of August 2). So bitter was the struggle that at ten o’clock beer was being consumed in large quantities by crowds assembled upon the pawements or East India Dock-road and Barking-road, and special constables had to be told off to preserve order. The battle is between, “tied” houses and “free” houses, and. the price of "four ale” last night at the following houses (all within a mile of the entrance to. the Blackwa.ll>. Tunnel) gives some indication of the state of chaos to which the trade lias been reduced:

Per Quart Eagle (free) 4d. Sir" John Franklin (tied) 3d. Lifeboat (free) 4d.. Dock House (tied) ... ... 3d. Aberfeldy (tied) sd. Iron Bridge, (tied) 5dBridge House (free) ... 4d. Victoria (tied) ... 3d

There were remarkable scenes outside the Sir John Franklin last night, many people anxious for cheap beer, who were unable to obtain admittance to the bars, standing drinking upon tho pavement. Da Saturday night a crowd of between .200 and 300 assembled, and at one time as many as fifty men were to be seen, drinking ale in the open air. Two constables were busy keeping the crowd on the move. Half-pints of beer were selling at the Dock House, Victoria, and Sir John Franklin for three-farthings, a special stock of farthings having been laid in by the landlords. The common practice, however, was to share a threepenny pot between four men. Many cases of intoxication were noticeable in the streets.

Owing to the extraordinary reduction in the price of beer the takings on Friday at the Sir John Franklin were £4 15s in excess of the average. •Inquiries with reference to the beer war made by a “Daily News” representative show that the tied houses were induced by the brewers to send up their prices to fivepence per quart. Tne free houses refused to follow suit, and retained their old price of four-pence. In spite of boycottings and refusals on the part of certain brewers to supply orders, the free publicans stuck to tbeir guns, or bar pulls, and still charged fourpence. The next move on the part of the brewers was to order their tied tenants to come down twopence, in the hope of cutting out the free tenants. The result- is peculiar and suggestive. Poplar is invaded by thirsty souls from all the neighboring boroughs drawn together by the possibility of having a cheap drink. Determination to stand by one another and fight to a finish is expressed by the tenants of the free houses.. Supplies having been refused to the Eagle and Lifeboat by certain London breweries, they are now obtaining their beer from a well-known Scottish firm. LANDLORDS INTERVIEWED.

The manager cf one of the free houses -was quite -willing to give his views on the situation. “The brewers,” he said, “quite expected that I would follow their lead and put up the price one .penny, blit I shall conduct my business in my own way, and' fix my own prices. I am not afraid of competition. I can still get my fourpence, in spite of the threepence charged across the way. No, we won’t he beaten.”

Another landlord was in the best of good humor. “Has my business suffered ” lie repeated with a laugh. “Not a hit of it. In fact, I don’t- mind telling you that during the four days of this competition my takings have gone up immensely. The trade unionists are dead against all combines and monopolies, and as a .protest they have transferred their custom to me.’’' “The cause of the trouble,” he -proceeded, “is the kick of the brewers at the Budget, and it is a grab to fill their own pockets. Fact is, they’ve been bitten once, and they are trying to get their money back again. Now, if they had put two shillings on each barrel the publicans would have paid it cheerfully, without raising the usual! price of fourpence. But when they stuck on eight (shillings, what was their object? I’ll tell you. It was to get back' tho money they scent so foolishly during the boom. Why, they would give £IO,OOO, £12,000, and even £15,000 for a house. They poured money out like water, and because they have lost over their silly transactions they hope to get some of it back by pumping eight shillings on each barrel, even before the Finance Bill' has become lam-. They’ve been fools, and I am not going to be one to help them, to redeem their folly.”