SUPPLIES RUNNING OUT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 61, 11 March 1916, Page 6

SUPPLIES RUNNING OUT.

SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF SPIRITS DROUGHT BY END OF YEAR. EFFECT OF THE WAR. On present indications there is every possibility of the Dominion finding itself by the end of the present year right out of wines and spirits. Supplies are J already seriously short in certain lines, i particular whiskies, brandies and gins. J Raw spirit, procurable before the war at 11/4 per gallon, is now quoted at 7/e. I Geneva gin, which could be purchased a ■ year ago at 17/, now shows an increase :of 350 per cent, and is scarcely procur- ! able at that price, shipments from Rotterdam having practically ceased. Since the Home Government took over all I distilleries for war purposes New Zea- ! land agents for distilling linns have in j most cases been advised tliat no further : orders can be entertained for whisky in ; bulk for export, and even in cases where isome orders can be met an increase of j 150 per cent must be charged. Brandies, j jmost of which come from France, are I almost unprocurable, i A leading Auckland wine and spirit ! merchant this morning remarked that ; the position had indeed become exceed-; i ingly serious. "The gradually increasi ing costs became apparent some months i ago," he said, "and the position has now j become so acute that it seems that there is no likelihood of replenishing present stocks except by shipments which may now be actually on the water. Practically all the alcohol now being manufactured in the distilleries of the Old Country is being commandeered by the Government for the high explosive shells. As giving some indication of the enormouse extent of its use by each of the Governments participating in the war, it may be truthfully said without exaggeration that the quantity so used is not to be estimated in tens of thousands of gallons, but in tens of millions of gallons. Not only is this the position, but, further, the passage by the English Government a few months ago of the Immature Spirits Bill compels any surplus spirit which Government do not take for munition purposes to be placed in bond for a period of not less than two years. These two elements are bad enough in themselves, and when one takes into consideration the tremendous difficulties in the way of railway and shipping transport it is quite obvious that it is only a matter of time when supplies to the Dominion will absolutely cease until the wai happily ends. Recent cable advices already point to the cessation of supj plies of gin and other spirits produced !bv Holland, owing to transport having practically ceased."