Local Beer For

Papua

Imported Lines at Low Prices

Prom a Special Correspondent PORT MORESBY, September 2 NO one knows whether the de velopment is the result of the “Maxwellitosis” which has hit the night-life of Sydney and made in calculable quantities of beer avail ible for the normal market, or whether the pending appearance of ‘Joe Burke’s Moresby beer” has up set merchants’ calculations —but the [act remains that the beer market n the Territories is in a condition )f profound disturbance. [“Unlimited quantities of Austral ian beer” are announced by the big ustributors Victorian Bitter by Carpenters, Fosters by Burns Philp ind Richmond by Colyer Watson.

People who have seen very little Australian beer of any kind for many years, and have been corn jelled to drink foreign bottled beers it high cost, now are literally lick ng their lips in anticipation of really :ompetitive prices.

I Steamships Trading Co. have heightened their hopes. Steamships

have announced unlimited quantities of a well-known Scottish beer, in case lots, for a price equal to 1/3 per bottle —which, in these days of depreciated currency, is practically giving it away.

The other big firms also are carry

ing big stocks of foreign beers, which they propose to unload as quickly as possible. The Burns Philp offer ings will work out at around 1/8 per bottle.

The Australians in New Guinea, like Australians generally, are mighty

beer-drinkers, and their preference usually is for Australian draught beer. If the promoters of the new brewery can give the community what they have promised—namely, a draught light beer of Australian type—they will capture the bulk of a large part of this valuable market, irrespective of anything that the dis

tributors of overseas bottled beer can do.

When, two years ago, it was first proposed, by Mr. Burke and his as sociates, that the waters of the Lal oki River, properly manipulated by skilled brewers, could provide the Australians here with what they want, few took the idea seriously.

But the plan, in spite of many dif culties, has taken practical shap Everything now depends on the qm ity of the product.

Local Beer On Sale

Next Month

P. Moresby, Aug. 27.

nHHIS Territory is likely to enjc increased supplies of beer soo when the new local brewery is i production and BP’s are handling a increased quota of Australian bee South Pacific Brewery expects 1 sell beer in Port Moresby by the er of October. It will distribute bot bottled and draught beer, in prc prietary bottles and 10 gallon staii less steel kilderkins, both made i Australia, Mr. Meier, manager of Sout Pacific Brewery, estimates his bee will sell at roughly 2/6 per botth but he cannot be definite until th excise position is known. At preser there is no excise on beer brewe in the Territory, but Governmer Secretary Steve Lonergan says “i may be anticipated”.

Mr. J. S. Bell has arrived in Fii to become manager of the recent! opened Labasa branch of the Ban! of New Zealand. During the wa: years he was on the staff of th Suva branch of the Bank