N.Z. WINE INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 928, 22 September 1910, Page 4

N.Z. WINE INDUSTRY.

■v■;;; ■■ ■,:; : -'IS jt■ 'DOOMED?; -;;:^ i-h .A question, was:'addressed to the .-Minister for "Agriculture, (the r Hon. T. - Mackenzie) recently-by :Mr.. Wright,, asking i; whether; the Minister'satteßtion-hadibeen drawn'to- an;article in, the "Journal' of .the New Zealand' Department of Agriculture." dated .August.ls;' and, if,:so, does he endorse the advice of the writer of tne 'article, which' instructs : vinegrowers - in No-License' districts-how 'they may: dispose of: wine manufactured in No-License 1 districts?;- '.;•'';/.Vi: ;;.;.".;": '.;'-: ' ' The/Minister,--in. his reply, said': that, vignerons hadl communicated "with the Department'in order to. learn : the law\6'n the subject, and; also-how they.' stood. The.article .contained no:advice or co m -: ;ment by. the Department," but was merely.' a reproduction of 'the Crown Law : Office: opinion', ■ whioh was obtained- and: pubh lished for/the.: information: of: vignerons' generally.'■:■■' ■::'.;/"' .■•'>'.'■.■'"','..■ ; 'Mr. Wright, discussing. - the "matter late'r, :: said that I 'a/great-deal "of irritation existed:..among the'temperance .people fin: regard;to,the depot system'. The.journal had gone out of its way to' show the vinegrowers', how they could resort to; that practice:"; .-',■ - ! ;:;'-:. ;;. .vv;; ; The; Minister, for .Agriculture said that it-did'not necessarily follow that he indorsed . all;'the/ views expressed in. the journal. ;Wide'.scope was given: to' the officers of the Department. The opinion given-'.was 'in accordance with ■ a'■'■;judg"-' ment of the Supreme Court. No exception Lwas'taken to a 'similar, legal view published, in; local -papers.:'" He /wished, to point out that 9000 tewer vines had been sold-this year, compared with.'previ-. ous years,. because growers felt that :they. might: not, be able, to/'secure. a, :sale;for their: wine. Altogether 700 acres had- been planted.-in vines,' the area'.in- Auckland being .491' acres. He, too, would be giau to see more grapes grown for table-pur-, poses.' ,' ! As there was. a. 'ot an extension, of prohibition 5 in -New Zealand,' it was :• only right that; growers should know the whole facts in-regard:to their industry,, so that.:they might .divert their' industry .to. other-channels-and. not'suffer' serious-loss.. : - -...:.:>:..,-...■';. .'■:..: