THE H.B. TRIBUNE. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1911. THE N.Z. WINE INDUSTRY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 278, 13 November 1911, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1911. THE N.Z. WINE INDUSTRY.

The value of the wine industry to N Zealand is m>i generally understood ami appreciated by the public, and in i omequenee it is in danger of being swept away by the emotional wave which is hurling itself against the dii’ik traffic m th" Dominion. Tin re is no question but tiiat t Insane thinking section of the itiintminity deplores the < xenssive ind.llee)' r- oj) ti.r- ;>:■!! of a fev. wjrjcll unfortunately is too apparent not <>. I. in Nev. Z"a!ami. but in :d! < <>ti:i--t fit’s, where strong drink is int'.odit -cd. ami in respect to the object of the prohibiiiomsis in reirioring the vice from tlie small minority 'Gio are addicted to it. the whole nation is witii litem. It is. however, in tiie method:-: which the No-licem-e party ad. m ates to expel 1 hi’ evil that i miHie; Ing thought occurs, and as si:: 1 cd tiiis sm-k by our contemp"i'.:i>'y. "The Byditey Mormng Herald. ’ ;iie cuios't'.'vl imp! > -it ion of their ideal hci-omcs social ty r.-'-rmy. sure to lie i'it'eilv res'.'-ii'■ <1 ami !<• provoke :i, 1 c! ■■ >ii which in t lie long urn would l>e 1 a: ! !>• proareso 111 Ho lii'tii'l v acan t he truth of the "Herald seition »e endorsed am! < mpliat i.--eil than i>y ant i'-ipat ing the effect, of prohibition on the wim- indnsev here. Even v.ith prohibit ion merely :. possible future acbii-vcmeu' ■>! the ProkiL’i ion parly , the vigitcrons today .hi' b.uidieapped and hains-vd l>< ii.e fear 1 hat they v. ill lie ruined by ;> ty ramiotis law extinguishing their business. How can a man ex-pt-mi capital ami toil in the dcvelopraet.t of bi:- vim-yard ii' haunted l.y l lie fear that al any mmm-m iiis industry iii.-t.’. Be di’clari’d illegal.' Totin'. !>.'■ finds himself a victim of mis-i-la-'C'l confidence in a Goveinmcm -e hi- li encouraged. imlm-ed. and act-i;-.liy urged him t>i invest his <atiit;d in the business, ami the s,- !i-,v ('.o'. erni'ient now passes an enme.it which enables public emotion to outlaw h’.s '.vork ami propenv. To prove the inconsistency of <-ur pr": ent Parliament we have only to 'refer to tlie Department of Agriculture annua) report. 1999. page 16-1. Thera the Govc’-nmcnt vii ir-ultm-mt s: "In Hawke's Bay. Mr. Bernard I-'- at To Mita is building new a cimimodation im lulling a new .;:,r h ;■ capm-ity of m.OoO g-d--|mr“. is additional to the et:-1.-r..-. -I'l’l o' tne old .eliar. When it is considered that on my arrival Mr. Chambers was seriously thinking of ■ (proofing his small vineyard on at-.-mnl oi ihe difficulty in handling t l 'e crop profitably, this is strong

evidence that the Department has assisted the industry sufficiently to justify its action." Then, on the other hand, we have seen that in a recently constituted. No-license area the vineyard and business of an estimable citizen, established under Government incouragement. by long years of patient anil intelligent labour. have been rendered pi act h-ally valueless, and that without hope of i oiiipens.ition of any kind. It is patent to all that the Government is not itself in sympathy' with the No-license movement and that it is only with a desire to propitiate a largo class of voters that its licensing measures have- from time to time been modified. The practical effect is confiscation of tl-e rights of the promoters of an industry entirely' beneficial to the community. The opportunity of obtaining wholesome light wines at reasonable prices has only to bo brought prominently before the people to induce a large number to adopt them as a beverage in place of the heavier and more ardent Jiuuors now in common request. It is a subject of remark among our Continental friends travelling in the Dominion that such wines .lie not within the reach of all in a I'.'iiuiti'i' so well adapted for their production. The aims of the Prohibition party, if attained, v,ill entirely iln away, with the prospect of popularising so healthy an addition to our ordinary dietary. It behoves the people to give grave thought to the s.jHi'it which prompts an over zealous Imdv <d' men to attain an end. whosimportance has been greatly exaggerated, liy the confiscation and limitation of th" rights <;> others, and to consider to what, next the same methods o. compulsioii may lie applied.