AUSTRALIAN AND CAPE WINES

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 129, 30 May 1908, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN AND CAPE WINES

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. In the course of the Tariff Debate in the Australian Senate, Senator Best is reported to have said that the Government was aware of an arrangement between Cape Colony and New Zealand for the introduction of Cape wines at specially reduced rates, adding: "In the draft reciprocity treaty of 1906, between the Federal Government and Mr. Seddon, preference was promised to Australian wines. New Zealand statistics did not show that Australian trade with New Zealand wa3 suffering by South African competition." With reference to these remarks, the manager of a local wine and spirit firm said that "the trade" was anxious to see a reciprocal system establiehed between Australia, and New Zealand. At present the higE duty on Australian wine was a great drawback. He was quite sure that if the duty was "anything Eke reason able"' the sales of the Australian commodity would largely increase. In, the meantime, "however, he agreed with Senator Best that the Australian trade was not injuriously affected by South African competition. The speaker admitted that New Zealand -wine makers would be likely to protest against any reduction-in the duty on importations from the Common•wealth, but he contended that the great numbers of people who did not like the New Zealand 'wines which were oa the Snarket now, should have some consideration extended to them.