§ My new scale of duties for the full publican's licence begins, as I have already indicated, like the existing scale, at 50 per cent. of annual value; but, instead of following the existing scale—by gradually diminishing the percentage as the value increases until upon houses having an annual value of £700 the charge amounts to no more than 8½ per cent., above which figure, thanks to the cessation of the scale at that point, the decrease in the rate of the charge in proportion to annual value proceeds with still greater velocity, until, in the case of the highest values, it becomes almost insignificant—we propose to charge an uniform 50 per cent. of annual value throughout, subject to a minimum. The minimum rate in rural districts and in urban areas having a population of less than 2,000 will be £5, which, although only 10s. in excess of the present minimum charge, is, I think, a sufficient duty to exact from the small country inn, which satisfies the legitimate social needs of a scattered population, and whose volume of trade is in many cases not more than sufficient to provide the inn-keeper with a decent subsistence. The same considerations do not, however, apply to the poorer class of premises in the larger urban areas. A very large part of the mischief resulting from the liquor traffic is associated with the small, and often disreputable, house of this kind, which, in fact, ought never to have been licensed. Such houses are, indeed, in many cases, mere survivals from the period before 1872, since which date new licences have not, in fact, been granted, at any rate in England and Wales, to any premises in towns containing a population of not less than 100,000 inhabitants, of a lower annual value than £50; and in other towns, containing a population of not less than 10,000, of a lower annual value than £30. Such houses, where they do exist, have often a turnover quite out of proportion to the character of the premises, and make large profits. We think, therefore, that no hardship will be created by the charge of a minimum duty of £10 in urban areas of between 2,000 and 5,000 inhabitants; £15 between 5,000 and 10,000; £20 between 10,000 and 50,000; £30 between 50,000 and 100,000; and £35 in London and other towns having a population in excess of 100,000.