RAISING THE PRICE OF BEER.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE 'SPECTATOR.'] Sin,—In your article on "The Licensing Bill and Compensa- tion " (Spectator, March 7th) you suggest that the legitimate way for the trade to protect itself is to increase the retail price of beer. May I, as one in the trade, point out that this cannot be done, because the occupiers of free-houses—who in many instances are their own brewers—would gladly jump at the chance of being able to continue selling at present prices, whilst their tied-house neighbours were compelled by the brewer-owner to raise the charges ? This Bill will not increase the actual cost of ale. The principal sufferers will be bhose brewers who supply mainly their own tied-public-houses, which in many, if not most, instances they have acquired by giving ridiculously inflated prices. In short, the Bill is a big nail in the coffin of the pernicious tied-house system.—
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