WHISKY IMPORTS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14578, 8 April 1918, Page 3

WHISKY IMPORTS.

■ m TRANSPORT'S BIG CONSIGNMENT. ' DUMPING" FROM AMERICA. (Special to the Herald.) WELLINGTON, this day. Heavy importations of whisky frbm the United States of America have been noticed on the Wellington water-front this year, and there is an interesting reason for this apart from the wellknown difficulty irr obtaining Scotch whisky during the war*. Ardent spirits have been banned m the States for the term of the war. and distillers have to look elsewhere for their market. Probab'y the sudden stoppage of consumption has left them with stocks On hand, consequently the big consignments both from Canada and the Statee arc explained. The Customs authorities are analysing strange brands, so as to ensure that the New Zealand consumer will not get his ardent spirits too ""raw." Apparently, under the stress of war conditions, it is difficult to get fully matured spirits, and some amendment of the law appears to be needed to make quite sure that no unmatured liquor is placed on the market. A recent shipment of spirits from America, ! landed m Wellington totalled 8900 gallons. It is not surprising that the/ American distillers are looking to "fresh fields and pastures new," as the beer-brewing interests have conducted a vigorous campaign against ' "hard" spirits,' contending that they cause all the drunkenness, ahd maintaining, orr the other hand, that— to use the words of one large newspaper advertisement inserted m a city paper by the brewers — "beer is the true hand-maiden of tempera noe." Though there is great difficulty m getting spirits from Scotland, a New Zealand transport recently landed m Wellington a surprisingly large quantity. It was reported m the city that this steamer seemed to carry nothing but soldiers and whisky, but examination of the manifest shows this to be an exaggeration. The cargo space was not fully filled, so that the whisky bulked large m the total. The heaviest lines were for drapery establishments, while the whisky comprised 1201 cases and fifty casks, . containing m all 4089 gallons. While there is so much delay m securing many other articles from England, it is evident that some strong control is necessary over the allocation of cargo space m the Government ships. This instance will probably result m the com- j mercial community making representations, when it will be found that the Government is endeavoring to arrange for a preferential list of goods m respect to cargo space both from England and ! America.