AUSTRIANS AND THEIR WINE

Press, Volume L, Issue 15017, 11 July 1914, Page 12

AUSTRIANS AND THEIR WINE

Commissioner Cullen,' in his annual report, mentions the fact that "in -thb Mongonui County, in the extreme north of the Dominion, a number of Austrians make and sell -wine, and somo of these wine-producers have established depots for the sale of the wine at all remote gum-digging camps throngh 7 nut that district, '-he producer is allowed by law to sell his wino in, quantities of not less; than/ two gallons at any one time, but it wine is sold from these', depots- by'- the bottle and that it is purchased by birth Maori and European gum-diggers, the Maori women being supplied as well as the mon, and that frequent drunken orgies aro the result. It is difficult for tbe police to get sufficient.evidence to justify a prosecution, owing to tho reluctance of any of tne person's living in these cAmPS to. give, evidence against the offenders. The wine sent to these camps is mostly cor-n-nosed of a raw, cheap spirit m«ed witjh wine., the / drinking +of Avhich concoftion^, ' w con-nmer-^-f-dxfor the,time. be-, to recommend that- legwlatwn be pal_d"prohibiting the land-made wine at any place except. atthV place where it has l>een.produced and bn licensed Premises, gh* would at once the depot evil on the gum-fields