AUSTRIAN WINE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2199, 11 July 1914, Page 7

AUSTRIAN WINE.

. ' "DRIVES CONSUMERS MAD"

References to drunken orgies amongst Austrians, other Europeans, 'and Maoris m the gum-digging camps of the fai noith have been ticquently made lCcently, and it has been suggested that more reatru'tions should be imposed 'on tho salo of wine made by Austiiansi Commissioner Cullen, , head of tho Police Force, makes the following observations on tho subject in his annual report "In the Mangonui County, in the extreme north of tho Dominion, a number of Austnans make and sell wine, and some of these nine-produc-er's have established depots for , tho salo ,of tho wine at all remote gum-digging camps throughout that district The producer is allowed by law to 'sell wine in quantities of not less than £no gallons at any one time, but it appears that vvme is sold from theso depots by the bottle, and that it is purchased bj both Maori and European gum diggers, tho Maori women being supplied as well as tho men, and that frequent drunken oigies are the result s It is very difficult tor the police te get sufficient ovfdenco to justify a prosecution, owing to the (roluctanco of any of tho peisons living in those camps to give evidence against tho oftendors The wine sent to thest camps is mostly composed iof a law, cheap spirit mi\ed with newly-made wine, the drinking .of which concoction is said to the time being I bog te recommend that legislation be passed prohibiting tho salo of New Zealand-made wine, at jn-y place except at the place where a has been produced and on licensed premises ! 'this would at once do away with the depot evil on the gumfields "