Aβ good v. whisky us ever was brewed has bceu dietilled iv Now Zealand. During , tlio short timo that tlio Duncdin and Auckland distilleries were permitted to exist, large qiiantiticss of whisky wero mude, but as the spirit was put into consumption before it had arrived it maturity it was voted poison. And so it was in tho condition it was then in. It is said that whisky requires to bo at least four years old before it throws oil' the deleteriofiH fusil oil; but Npw Zealand whisky being put into the market in a raw condition, was a iiery unwholesome spirit. Tho Government of that day was not slow £o tako, advantage of tho representations o£ iifjp.ujrteiH and consumers, being glad to put a stop to 'uju Judußtry thi*t Jitidi guolj a
disastrous effect on the revenue. The consequence was the distilleries were shut up on the payment of hepvy compensation to the distillers. ■ This costly experiment of manufacturing spirits for our own comKumptibn has always been cited as a proof that we cannot make anything fit to drink, and that the trial proved a heavy loss to tho country. Ten yearsafterthe whisky that had been wholly condemned was pronounced the finest that could be procured. It merely wanted age to mellow it, and if some provision had been made to prevent the sale of colonial whisky until it was at least fivo years of age, we are certain tho Home distilled artiole would have been driven out of the market. Unfortunately this colony depends very largely upon flic consumption of alcohol to keep its head above water. The duties on imported epirits make up tho
largest portion of the Customs revenue. Tho colony cannot afford to go without its profits on the public "drink bill," for, so to speak, it looks to the vices of the people to pay its way. It follows that the establishment of local distilleries would seriously air , eot • tho revenue if the local article were allowed to be sold as soon as it whs made. But the provision which wo have suggested, under which no colonial-mado whisky could bo sold nnder five years of its manufacture, would give the Government time to I'oadjust the incidence of taxation to moot the loss on tho decreased eonuumption of tho imported article. The five years' standard would ulso have the effect of keeping adventurers and men of straw from embarking: in an industry that would demand a large amount of capital to lie unproductive for so long a fciinc. When tho produco of tlic distillery wns put on tho market it would bear a Government '•ruorantoo of its purity and ngo. We are quite awiu'o that the feeling , is a growing onu that all drink is bad, because it is asserted all crime proceeds from drink. This opinion is not founded on any sound basis. Good alcohol is, if taken in moderation, a wholesome .stimulant and medicine; It is tho ■poisonons liquor taken in excess that inflames the passions and incites to crime, and it is the duty of Parliament to protect the people from the dishonest scoundrels who would pell it. What is required in this colony, as in other countries, is ttomo efticient ehwik upon the sale of drugs which under llm mime of beer, wine, or spirits, may be nothinir more nor less than poison. The amount of deleterious rubbish that is imported inlo this colony for consumption in low public houses is enormous, aud Ihoro are no fucilities under tho Act to expoFO the fraud that is daily perpetrated in iho sale of etuff that is not lit to drink. Wo ure persuaded that if nothing but tho pure article were allowed to bo sold there would be little occasion to rail at tho evils of drink. But when the bxiUt of the wino that is consumed is innocent of the juice of tho grape ; when brandy, and some other spirits, are but chemical productions; and when whisky is sold bofore the fusil oil in it has ovapornted, no wonder the people ttro poisoned and commit crime under tho maddening influence of drink.
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Bibliographic details
Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5230, 28 May 1888, Page 2
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691Untitled Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5230, 28 May 1888, Page 2
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