BOTTLED SUNSHINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 April 1916, Page 6

BOTTLED SUNSHINE.

I To (lie Kditor, Sj'"> ''Wayfarer' lias given in Tuesday s paper a very interesting article on iniit culture in Hawke's Bay, only the title of his contribution is misleading. What was carried to the presses was no doubt ''bottled ,sunshine.'" for it was thousands on thousands of small bottles ol' sweet sunshine, each bottle being of a. size suitable for man's use. and each bottle also hermetically sealed and thus free from decay. Each berry may be called ;i bottle of pure sunshine. When, however, these small bottles liavp been burst, and the contents subjected to a process of decay, called fermentation, and the resulting intoxicating liquor is re-bottled. it is no more bottled sunshine. but a bottled mocker. It is called a mocker, because ife pretends one thing and is and does quite another thing. Many writers in all age s have tried to find a name for it. Shakespeare said:! "If thou hast, no name to be known bv, let lis call thee devil," and his name is more true to facts and experience than ' A\ayfarer's" name for the product of decay, too. It would lie interesting, after reading in your paper, Sir, of the same day, the report from Petrograd of what the i'u,ssian Finance Minister has to say about the abolition of drink. ](• is not very likely he. would say that '•the simple expedient of drawing a cork" would bring any "sunny influence to bear" on-his people. The verdict is, Sir, that the use of alcoholic drink is not a sunny but a sad influence; and he is delighted that his people are not drawing those corks. The reply will be that there is a great difference between vodka and the wine sent out from Mr. Bernard Chambers' cellars, and this is tvue. My friends in Hawkc's Bay de-1 c'are that Mr. Chambers' wine is the purest that can be (a pure result of impurity, decay), yet it contains the intoxicating element; if unfortified with distilled spirits, it may 'bo up to ],l per cent.; and if fortified with such additions it may be up to any strength. Xo fermented liquor can be produced to over 13 per cent, of alcohol; where it shows more than that other spirit has been added. It will he replied, too, that, if only light wines and beers were used there would be no barm done. Well, there is the risk; but would any good be got even from that use of fermented liquors? The drunkards' in our midst are just moderate drinkers of. light wines and beers who have failed in business—failed in business as moderate drinkers. In these days, too. when we are talking about economy, is it not a great waste of good fruit to use so much in making wine that we can do very well without, even though 110 regard he paid to the harm done to those who drink it? "Wayfarer" says that 15,000 gallons of wiiie were made at Te Mata. That means, if only grape juice is used, about 100 tons of grapes. What a pity the grapes were not dried and sold as raisins at a' moderate price! That would he preserved sunshine for many a family, and no sorrow could possibly result from the use thereof. I trust'that this will pjeet with your approval, or, at least, you will give it space in your widelyread paper—l am, etc., ' fJ.H.M."