THE CARLISLE SYSTEM Sra,—One questions very much whether Mr. Pickwick,
had he knowledge of the State public-houses at Carlisle, would have paid such tribute to them as Mr. R. L. Reiss would have us believe. Mr. Pickwick would have missed the genial mine-host from behind the bar—the man who takes such an interest in the comfort and desires of those m front of the bar. Mr. Pickwick would also have pointed out that whilst many Carlisle public-houses have been improved, the trade in other parts of the country has provided as good and better examples of what public- houses should be. Mr. Reiss, through Mr. Pickwick, . repeats the old teetotal canard that the trade's " only business is to sell drink." He must know this to be an unfair statement as must all those of your readers who have only slight knowledge of the inside of public-houses. Food, facilities for games and social intercourse, &c., are available in practically all privately-owned public-houses.
With regard to slum clearance schemes Mr. Pickwick would know from past experience that the brewing trade has always shown willingness to co-operate in these schemes and to rebuild and replan their public- houses. And, finally, Mr. Pickwick would, I think, sum up his views by saying that the experiment at Carlisle is of interest in showing that the State ownership of the public-house business has no advantage over private ownership either in the service it renders the public or its effect
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