SPACE FOR LIQUOR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 245, 4 July 1918, Page 4

SPACE FOR LIQUOR

. A CUSTOMS EETURN. Thero was published in The Dominion on Tuesday, in connection with a letter received by the council of tho Wellington Chamber of Conimerca from tho chairman of tho National Efficiency Beard, a statement giving (kures of importation of spirits and other articles for the four-monthly period, January 1 to April 30,'1017 and 1918, respectively. Tho Hon. Arthur M. Myers, Minister of Customs, furnished a Dominion reporter with tho following return showing tho total quantity in gallons of beer, spirits, and wine landed at the main ports of New Zealand for the first five months in 1918, ae against a similar period for 1917. It will be remembered that the Chamber of Commerce has set up a committee to make inquiry and prepare a report, in respqnso to the request of the National Efficiency Board. Total For New Zealand. 1918. 1917. Beer, ale and stout 26,633 52,591 Bitters and liqueurs 1,586 1,650 Brandy W« H<M Gin, Geneva, and tohnapps, ■ unsweetened 55,526 28,707 Rum 6,771 5,960 Spirit!,'sweetened, n.0.0 1,590 3,930 Whi«liv 406,691 2JM(-S Spirits! other" J.«J J.™ Wine, Bparkling .« W" Wine, still &W Totals ®W 771 STATEMENT BY REV. J. DAWSON.

The Rev. John Dawson. of the New Zealand Alliance, referring last evening (o the foregoing return, amplified tho figures with eomo striking additional etatis. tics. "A special return which I have read this week," said Mr. Dawsou, "shows that in the first five months of the present year sixty vessels brought liquor shipments to New, Zealand, and of these fourteen brought over 10,000 gallons each, while ten brought shipnienta of over 20,000 gallons each, as follows:— 21,597 gallons, 24,012, 34,250, 36,750, 35.0G0, 38,433, 42,009, 43,800, 45,669, 84,164. It will be remembered that in last session r liquor legislation a clause was put into the Bill'permitting the importation of raw spirit to New Zealand up till September 1. The shipments ha ;e been growing larger as tho timo goes on, and will no doubt continue to increase until September 1. The bulk of the shipments is from the United Kingdom. Apparently the shortage of foodstuffs and labour has not. affected the position. There is also a growing amount from Canada and Australia. Canada exported within the period named 55,8i3 gallons, Australia 61,679 gallons, while China, strangely enough, also became an exDorter of raw spirit to the extent ot 1846 gallons. What I want to point out is that all this liquor takes up valuable shipping space, and not only that, when it is landed it goes into bond, and the duty is not collected till it is taken out of bond."