SOUTH AFRICAN PREFERENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16573, 4 November 1921, Page 7

SOUTH AFRICAN PREFERENCE.

South Africa will still have reciprocity under the new tariff, and her tobacco will bo admitted to New Zealand at 2s 6d a lb instead of 4s fid. The duty on sparkling wines will still be fis a gallon, as against 16s a gallon for other sparkling wines. It is stated that .a great deal of South African vv-ine comes into New Zealand for use by manufacturers of modicina] wines, and it is also- largely used .in bulk by hotels. BEER TO RISE. The prospect of a rise in the price of beer to 7d a pint is regarded l as almost inevitable under tli© new duty. Com- . monting on the increase, Air A. S. I Duncan, manager of Ward and Co., Ltd., of tli© Canterbury 7 Brewery, i stated that*there was not much to ho i .said. Tli© Government evidently want- ! ©d more money, and had gone heavily ! for luxuries, although beer was by no j means* a luxury, but a necessity to the j working man. The effect of the new j duty would bo to increase the pint from fid to 7d, because naturally the | brewers could not bear the increase, j which was 27s a hogshead, and there I was riot half of that in profit on the actual turnover. There- would be no j possibility of shouldering the rospomi- i inlity, which had to bo passed on. but j it might be possibfe to split it up in l some way, but he did not think it was i probable. Labour was high, and materials, particularly sugar, were still ” up I in the branches.” The brewers were ! also working on high priced barley, j which was costing about 8s a bus-hel , because new season’s barley was not j used until six months after it was bar- j vested. Hops were also costing 2s a lb. j tho brewers being compelled to enter into a three years’ contract at that price to ensure that the Nelson growers would grow hors. Fortmmtelv farmers were growing barley, hut the price would rot he down for six months. Goal and coke were still very high. Another important factor was that breweries had only a limited carrying capacity, which governed the stocks they held, and large accumulations were impossible. While present < r -• held their customers would have the advantage. After that it- would be a finest ton of putting on to tho new duct whatever was considered necessary in tb© circumstances.