TOE CARLISLE PUBS
SIR,—It is good to sec a national journal like yours taking an interest in the anomaly of our Carlisle State Pub monopoly. This League, which wants to break the monopoly, and others in this area have long felt, rightly or wrongly, that we were too small an area for the Government, or others in London, to bother about.
We were all most encouraged at the recent decision of the Home Secretary to grant an additional private enterprise hotel licence and this is a step in the right direction, breaking a rigid state of near-monopoly which has reigned supreme since 1916. However, even if this precedent is followed in other similar cases it will only relax the monopoly in respect of one class of trade.
In order to break the monopoly in respect of
ordinary `pubs' it will, I think, be necessary for the Government to introduce fresh legislation. At present the working man of Carlisle either has to drink Stst4e beer or join a club. We see no reason why he should not enjoy a variety of choice like anyone else and hope the Government will soon bow to public opinion in this respect.—Yours faithfully,
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