Brewery;

Fiji To Have A

New Liquor Law[?]

A BREWERY will be bui Walu Bay, Suva’s indu area, and be in productio early 1958.

This was announced in Sm, W. R. Carpenter and Co. Ltc the end of August.

A spokesman for the con said in Sydney that the br: would produce bottled and dr beer—but that the emphasis 1 be on draught.

The company has not yet do where it will buy its plant, an listing Australian know-how hs been considered.

There are no plans yet appointing a brewer. However company is confident that the ducts of the brewery will be of quality and be welcomed local

Beer Drinking for Ai

If the new brewery can pn an acceptable brew —and there; reason why it should not venture will probably be as phe enal a success as that of the 1 Pacific Brewery in Port Mores l ; P-NG the local product is sll less in price than imported but it holds most of its popu on its merits.

Certainly the Suva brewery not have been contemplated more opportune time. The Gov of Fiji announced to the Coun Chiefs, which met in mid-Aj that the Government propos amend Fiji’s liquor law to maK drinking of beer open to all without any control by permii present the drinking of all ale; liquor by Fijians and India controlled by the permit syslf The Governor said that a mittee is to be set up to discusE the new system is to be brough effect.

This news will naturally bs corned by all brewery interests will probably appal many wishers of the Fijian race.

This is a second attemi liberalise Fiji’s liquor laws, th*j being defeated by public or Following the first failure,; granting of permits was g liberalised and the results are; to anyone with eyes and earr passes a Suva hotel in the eve or at week-ends. The Indiai, hold his liquor; the Fijian gem cannot —a few beers can turn from the most amiable of H islanders into a quarrelsome The new proposal is appaE based on the current desire f«l called “racial equality,” anoj theory that by denying alcoii a section of the communij

/ becomes more desirable, theory has, however, been completely wrong in other mities. It was a popular be >efore New South Wales id over from 6 o’clock closing o’clock closing in Feb. 1955, ie new law would do away with i o’clock bar-swill and that ig habits would immediately I what was called “civilised.” >f these things have happened, c o’clock swill goes on as usual arges for drunken driving and nness have increased enorm in countries, such as France, alcoholic drinks are >nal, the increase of alcohol recent years has become a a that is now being tackled lational scale. problem is also causing con . N. Caledonia, where all may beer. But here again some of the community (probably .tives themselves) subscribes theory that if there is an ?o” for everyone, the problem Ive itself. certain that if the present ic content of beer in Fiji is ined, and everyone is to be ted to drink it how, when often as he (or she) likes, going to have a social a of considerable magnitude hands in the years to come. :her or not Fiji has a y of its own makes no dit to the situation, of course. ? beer is to be drunk it might well be Fiji-brewed beer. If ieer is not available it will a from overseas, anyhow.