H—3B

518. Ia considering these matters we regret that we have not had evidence from the Licensed Victuallers' Associations, other than two of them. The solicitor for the Auckland Provincial Licensed Victuallers' Association gave the following statement in evidence for the Association (R. 3570): — The Auckland Provinicial Licensed Victuallers' Association, through its Executive, desires to make the following representations to the Commission. It should be stated that the Executive does not include any persons who are employed as managers of hotels, but is restricted to those holding leases in their own rights or owning freeholds of hotel property. The association points out that in recent years a large and increasing number of hotels have been placed under management by the brewery and wholesale companies and have not consequently been available for leasing. The attached schedule of hotels sets out the position in the Auckland Provincial District. If the present policy of the wholesale companies of acquiring hotels whenever possible and placing them under management is continued, it is only a matter of time before practically all the hotels which are worth while pass into the control and management of the wholesale companies. Another matter which is giving the association some concern is whether there is a fair distribution of stocks amongst all the hotels or whether the wholesale companies which control nearly all supplies give preference to their own hotels which are being conducted for them by managers. If they do, this preference must operate to the detriment of the other hotels. A further point is that where a brewery company controls the business of an hotel, it supplies only its own draught beer and usually restricts the other stocks to those which it controls. Customers are! consequently limited in their choice to the restricted stocks carried at the particular hotel which is being patronized. Hotels under Management in the Auckland Province s Campbell and Ehrenfried .. .. .. .. .. .. 26 New Zealand Breweries .. .. .. .. .. .. 26 Hancock and Co. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 Dominion Breweries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 90 Hotels leased in the Auckland Province Campbell and Ehrenfried .. .. .. .. .. 11 New Zealand Breweries .. .. .. .. .. 1 Hancock and Co. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 40 Dominion Breweries .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 Northern properties .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 L. D. Nathan .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 66 Hotels privately leased .. .. .. .. .. 14 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 80 Hotels in the Auckland Province Managed hotels .. .. ~ .. .. .. .. 90 Freehold hotels .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 54 Leasehold hotels .. .. .. .. .. . . 80 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 224 519. The president and two members of the executive of the Auckland Provincial Licensed Victuallers Association gave evidence in general support of these resolutions, though they did not complain of their own treatment by the brewery companies. They explained also that there was in fact a great shortage of spirits during the war. 520. The only other statement made by a Licensed Victuallers' Association was that made in Christchurch by Mr. Durham Do well, representing the Reefton, Hokitika, Grey, Westland, Buller, and Motueka Licensed Victuallers' Association, on behalf of that association, and also on behalf of the Buller and Westland Provincial Councils of the Licensed Trade, an organization including the breweries of the districts (R. 5368).

109