AUCHINLECK (September 30): STURDY, vigorous Mr Emrys Hughes, teetotal teacher, journalist and Socialist Member of Parliament, is to ask the Prime Minister, Mr Clement Attlee, on October 12 to make the production and export of whisky a State monopoly.
Mr Hughes thinks a little group of wealthy monopolists are cashing in on the thirst of America.
'I am looking forward to support form America, because my proposition would mean a reduction in the price of their Scotch,' he said.
'It would, you see, cut out the middleman's profits, and, you know, if the Americans are going to be slowly poisoned, it might just as well be done to the benefit of the British public.
'Whatever the Americans may think of other modes of nationalisation, they should certainly be eager to support a proposal which would result in a reduction in the price of whisky. If the Americans are so stupid as to waste their money on the Scotch, then I say the Chancellor of the Exchequer should take advantage of running the whisky business as a national concern, just in the same way that the Irish run their famous Dublin sweep-stakes.'