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12-03-2018, 06:17
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Time for yet more numbers. All culled from my new favourite book, the 1922 Brewers' Almanack.
If you think pub closures are bad currently, you should take a look at what happened just before WW I. The 1904 Licensing Act, introduced by a Liberal government with strong links to the temperance movement, gave Licensing Magistrates powers to refuse the renewal of licences for a vairiety of reasons. For example, if it was thought that there morepubs in an area than necessary. Licences could also be refused if a pub was considered to harbour thieves or if its trade was considered inefficient.
Temperance nutcases were obsessed with pubs providing unnecessary tempatation and loved having them closed down. They were helped by temperance advocates being Licensing Magistrates while members of the pub and brewing trade were prohibited from doing so. It lead to a very large number of pub closuress , as you can see in the table.
Licence holders of pubs deemed superfluous to requirements were usually paid compensation, this being the equivalent to the difference in value of the premises with and without a licence. Ones closed for breaking the rules received none. The compensation was paid from a levy imposed on licences.
Funnily enough, the pace of closures slowed after the outbreak of WW I. For the 15 years covered, an average of just over 1,000 pubs closed annually, with very small numbers of new licences being issued. That's an average of 20 a week. Getting a new licence became extremely difficult. A situation that continued until the 1970s.
For example, if a brewery wanted to build a new pub on an estate, it generally had to surrender one or more licences, usually in inner-city areas considered to have too many pubs.
Fall in on-licences 1905 - 1920
Year ended Dec. 31.
Refused with compensation.
Refused without compensation
Licences lapsed
New licences granted.
Net decrease.
1905
194
80
363
53
584
1906
892
69
435
56
1,340
1907
1,735
48
322
68
2,037
1908
1,236
30
253
47
1,472
1909
1,290
35
286
60
1,561
1910
993
27
250
33
1,237
1911
978
20
444
44
1,398
1912
849
18
296
53
1,110
1913
842
24
265
52
1,079
1914
844
13
225
48
1,034
1915
574
11
177
25
737
1916
383
22
239
28
616
1917
353
34
271
29
629
1918
400
19
195
14
600
1919
498
11
247
54
702
1920
526
11
340
71
806
Totals
12,587
472
4,608
725
16,942
Averages
787
30
288
45
1,059
Source:
Brewers' Almanack 1922, page 100.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2018/03/fall-in-on-licences-1905-1920.html)
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BsWxx5dYXB4/Wp5s4bFB98I/AAAAAAAAeIg/uzEaa0ZoNbkUQtMuhpx5Ju2bPzjiy-81wCLcBGAs/s400/Hammerton_Gee_Pale_Ale.jpg (https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BsWxx5dYXB4/Wp5s4bFB98I/AAAAAAAAeIg/uzEaa0ZoNbkUQtMuhpx5Ju2bPzjiy-81wCLcBGAs/s1600/Hammerton_Gee_Pale_Ale.jpg)
Time for yet more numbers. All culled from my new favourite book, the 1922 Brewers' Almanack.
If you think pub closures are bad currently, you should take a look at what happened just before WW I. The 1904 Licensing Act, introduced by a Liberal government with strong links to the temperance movement, gave Licensing Magistrates powers to refuse the renewal of licences for a vairiety of reasons. For example, if it was thought that there morepubs in an area than necessary. Licences could also be refused if a pub was considered to harbour thieves or if its trade was considered inefficient.
Temperance nutcases were obsessed with pubs providing unnecessary tempatation and loved having them closed down. They were helped by temperance advocates being Licensing Magistrates while members of the pub and brewing trade were prohibited from doing so. It lead to a very large number of pub closuress , as you can see in the table.
Licence holders of pubs deemed superfluous to requirements were usually paid compensation, this being the equivalent to the difference in value of the premises with and without a licence. Ones closed for breaking the rules received none. The compensation was paid from a levy imposed on licences.
Funnily enough, the pace of closures slowed after the outbreak of WW I. For the 15 years covered, an average of just over 1,000 pubs closed annually, with very small numbers of new licences being issued. That's an average of 20 a week. Getting a new licence became extremely difficult. A situation that continued until the 1970s.
For example, if a brewery wanted to build a new pub on an estate, it generally had to surrender one or more licences, usually in inner-city areas considered to have too many pubs.
Fall in on-licences 1905 - 1920
Year ended Dec. 31.
Refused with compensation.
Refused without compensation
Licences lapsed
New licences granted.
Net decrease.
1905
194
80
363
53
584
1906
892
69
435
56
1,340
1907
1,735
48
322
68
2,037
1908
1,236
30
253
47
1,472
1909
1,290
35
286
60
1,561
1910
993
27
250
33
1,237
1911
978
20
444
44
1,398
1912
849
18
296
53
1,110
1913
842
24
265
52
1,079
1914
844
13
225
48
1,034
1915
574
11
177
25
737
1916
383
22
239
28
616
1917
353
34
271
29
629
1918
400
19
195
14
600
1919
498
11
247
54
702
1920
526
11
340
71
806
Totals
12,587
472
4,608
725
16,942
Averages
787
30
288
45
1,059
Source:
Brewers' Almanack 1922, page 100.
More... (http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2018/03/fall-in-on-licences-1905-1920.html)