Maximum price of a reputed pint

It seems that the confusion about reputed pints was unwarranted. Because the Procurator-Fiscal was talking out of his bottom when he said that the maximum prices were fixed on imperial measures.

I’ve just gone back and had a look at the regulations as laid out in the Food Supply Manual. And, while it’s true that for draught beer, only imperial measures are specified, that isn’t true for bottles beer. The schedule includes half reputed pint, reputed pint and reputed quart measures.

I don’t quite see how they could be unaware of this in Scotland, as the reputed measures had presumably been included specifically for them.

Scottish drinkers weren’t so keen on the reputed pint, as this letter to an Aberdeen newspaper demonstrates:

“Stout at 10d per "Reputed" Pint.
Sir,- It has taken the Food Controller with his invincible and indisputable power, all his time to keep "even" with that "double-dy'd villain," "the profiteer"; and it would now seem as if the Liquor Controller were having the worst of it with the drink profiteer. This, too, in relation to bottled stout — chiefly.

In pre-war days a so-called "bottle" stout was sold by Mr "Bung" at 4d. It was alleged then — it is still alleged - that you purchased a pint of stout; The consumer, of course, does nothing of the kind. He is victimised every time by a bottle, known in Scotland only, as a "reputed " pint. Its reputation is of the vilest type, for it is no measure any kind. Draught stout, when it can had, id sold by imperial stamped measure: so, too, are spirits various depressing strengths. Why, then, shouldn't bottled stout and beers be put in the same category?

But what one desires to find out more particularly is why stout should go up in price by leaps and bounds the way has done! At present it is selling in public-houses at 10d per "reputed." pint. It jumped from 8d to 10d in a week's time. There seems be "profiteering" and "profiteering", but this licks even fish profits into a cocked hat! Will some one in the "trade " explain? —Yours, etc.,
Bottled Stout,
Aberdeen, 21st May, 1918.”
Aberdeen Evening Express - Wednesday 22 May 1918, page 4.

These are the controlled prices from early 1919:

Maximum prices of beer in the public bar and for off consumption
beer of a gravity	draught	half reputed pint	half imperial pint	reputed pint	imperial pint	reputed quart	imperial quart
under 1023º	3d	2.5d	3d	5d	6d	7d	9d
1023º - 1029º	4d	3d	3.5d	5.5d	6.5d	9d	11d
1029º - 1035º	5d	3.5d	4d	6d	7d	11d	1s 1d
1035º - 1042º	6d	4.5d	5d	7d	8d	1s 1d	1s 3d
1042º - 1050º	7d	5.5d	6d	9d	10d	1s 3d	1s 5d
over 1050º	8d	6.5d	7d	11d	1s	1s 5d	1s 7d
Source:
"Food Supply Manual May 1919", HM Stationary Office, 1919, page 18.