Sessional_Paper_1898 — Page 513

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Mr. MCCALLUM.-I fancy it is done in the compradores' shops. I am not absolutely certain, but I think so. As regards the eating-houses, suppose I go into an eating-house and order a meal, and I wish to have a glass of beer with my meal, would it be an infringement of the eating-house licence if I sent out and got the beer in ?--No.

Mr. MCCALLUM.--The object of the question, of course, is to see whether these eating-houses are able to send out for beer and also for Chinese liquors.

Mr. MCCALLUM.-There is a place in Queen's Road known as "Samshu Corner” even amongst Europeans, so far as the seafaring community are concerned.—I suppose they can get samshu easily enough by telling a Chinaman to get it, but the holder of a licence to sell it is not allowed to sell it directly or indirectly to an European.

The CHAIRMAN.-With regard to the number of public-houses, do you consider that the number is more than sufficient ?---No.

Would you impose any restrictions on the number ?—No, I would not.

You would leave it to be regulated by supply and demand ?—Yes; there are very few.

Some of these very cheap liquors apparently come from Chinese compradores' shops? Yes.

Is it advisable to allow them to sell European liquors by retail?-I do not see why they should not. The liquors are no worse than those sold by German firms and no cheaper. I say "no worse," but I do not know anything of my own knowledge about the quality.