Watering beer in 1959 (part five)

While I'm swanning around in South Korea, you're going to have to make do with more watery tales. Do you realise how much effort it is posting every day? Yes, I know. It's my own stupid fault for insisting om doing it.

You'll notice some recurring themes in the excuses preoferred by landlords. This combines two: I was ill, there were workmen around.

"I DON'T KNOW"
JOSEPH DAINTY, of the Egerton Arms, Oldham, was fined £15 after admitting that on November 27 beer was diluted to the extent of 6.6 per cent.

In a letter Dainty said he was ill in bed at the time and workmen were on tne premises. He was unable to explain how the dilution occurred.

After admitting a dilution of beer to the extent of 13.6 per cent on November 26. William Hodgkinson, was also fined £15.
Manchester Evening News - Friday 23 October 1959, pages 21 and 32.

At least the beer wasn't too crazily diluted in this case.

The next chap also came up with two favourites: cleaning the pumps and workemen.

WILLIAM HODGKINSON, of the White Swan, Manchester Road. Hollinwood, wrote saying water might have got into the barrels while he was cleaning the pumps.

 n the case of JOHN EVANS, of the Corporation Inn, Tipping-Street, Ardwick, where the Customs alleged a dilution of 8 per cent. Mr. L Owens, defending said Evans had been landlord at the house for 10 years.

It was a “local” house and he was dependent on local people day after day, but there had never been any complaint against him or the quality of drink.

The Stipendiary said it was surprising customers had not complained.

Mr. Owens said that during the fortnight before the sample alterations were taking piace and the cellars were wide open to the public.

The Stipendiary pointed out that workmen could get water into the cellar, but they could not get beer out. Evans, still the tenant of the house, was fined £15.
Manchester Evening News - Friday 23 October 1959, page 32.

Having the cellars wide open to the public seems weird to me. There would have been crates of beer stored there. If the cellar was open anyone could have wandered in and nicked some. This is far more likely than workmen randomly adding water to a cask.

And he finishes off with the classic, well, no-one complained so it must have been OK. 

Given that everyone was fined £15, no matter what the extent of dilution, you may as well have watered like crazy and squeezed out the maximum profit.