NEW ZEALAND WINE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 217, 12 September 1908, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND WINE.

i FREEDOM OF SALE URGED

PETITION TO PARLIAMENT

There are many districts in* Auckland Province peculiarly suited to the growing of grapes, and very many vinegrowers believe that large areas, generally called poor gum land, will grow excellent wine grapes: but the feeling is that the New Zealand Government does not wish to encourage vine-growing, for wine-making purposes, and an endeavour is beingmade to obtain some definite pronouncement on the matter from parliament. Over 150 Austrians have signed their names to a request to be allowed to I take up land in Auckland for grapegrowing purposes, and express their readiness to at once commence planting out the vines. These men have all *had experience in their native country of vinegrowing, and. it may be depended that in the hands,of Austrians gum land will be made profitable.

A petition is now in circulation throughout Auckland, one section of which will be signed by persons now engaged in the vinegrowing industry, and the other by people generally interested. The petition sets out that the Government of New Zealand has spent large sums of money in importing disease-resisting grape stocks jto supply to vinegrowers, and that the GoTsernment, at large expense, has established experimental farms and employed experts to" teach grape cultivation. The petitioners add that they are anxious to foster the industry, but under the existing law it is practically impossible to obtain a license for the sale, by retailers, of New Zealand wine only, while in every other British colony 'in which grapes are largely grown licenses are issued for the retailing of wine. The petitioners desire that facilities should be given for the sale by retailers throughout the Dominion of pure New Zealand wine. The petition also says: "Your petitioners believe that such facilities could best be granted by issuing to any fit person, of good character, a license to sell pure wine madei from New Zealand grapes only, and that an effort should be made to secure the purity of all wine manufactured in New Zealand and sold under those licenses, and ask that legislation be enacted providing that any fit person, of good character, may be entitled to be licensed, to sell pure New Zealand wine."—N.Z. Herald.