MINISTER ASKED REASON FOR LARGE LIQUOR IMPORTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22662, 12 June 1948, Page 5

MINISTER ASKED REASON FOR LARGE LIQUOR IMPORTS

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 12. ‘This auxiliary respectfully asks the Minister on what basis the licensing trade has been granted such greatly increased import licenses for the importation of intoxicating liquors,” states a question which has been sent to the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr. A. H. Nordmeyer, by the temperance committee of the Canterbury auxiliary of the Baptist Union. “Whereas the value of import licenses since the war has been determined mainly by the 1938 figures, except in the case of important things in the national economy, a very different story is apparent in the importation of wines and spirits whose claim to importance in the national economy must surely be hard to substantiate,” said the Rev. F. G- Reddell in a statement. “The average annual value of wines imported in 1939-1946 was £64,527, but the value of wines imported in 1947 was £132,764,” he said, ‘‘which was an increase of more than 100 per cent. “The value of spirits imported in 1938 was £586,165, compared with £687,100 in 1947, an increase of more than £IOO,OOO. “The total quantity of liquor imported in 1947 was 100,000 gallons more than in 1939. “We believe that many perplexed commercial importers will be interested. as we are both in this disturbing inequality and in the Minister’s explanation of it,” he added.