SPIRITS TRADE

Evening Star, Issue 23693, 28 September 1940, Page 10

SPIRITS TRADE

SHORTAGE STEADILY GROWING MANY FACTORS CONTRIBUTING ACTION OF MATURITY CERTIFICATES A serious shortage of spirits is threatened in the Dominion in the near future, and even, at the present moment certain rationings in sales have taken place, more particularly in northern centres. While the war is naturally having some influence in so far as there have been losses through the sinking of ships at sea, the position has been made infinitely worse through the manner in which the import restrictions have operated. In 1937 there were abnormally heavy importations of all spirits into New Zealand, due to fears regarding the development of international affairs. Consequently when 1938 came and the situation generally appeared brighter, in the earlier months at anjj rate, importations tfere heavily reduced, very much below those of an ow dinary year. , Then came the import restrictions, and the Government saw fit to base the percentage of restriction on the extent of importations in 1938. A* cut of 50 per cent., such as has .been imposed upon spirits., would at any time be serious, but when that cut operates on tho reduced amount of imports in 1938 the position is doubly serious. That, _as much as anything else, has had a vital bearing on the existing shortage of supplies. So far »as losses through sinkings at sea are concerned, .it is expected that these will be replaced in due course, but there is always the •difficulty of getting shipping space m time to make good stock reductions in. the Dominion. Whisky, brandy, or rum imported from Great Britain and France must, under regulations now in force, bear a certificate stating that the spirit is five years old. This, incidentally, contrary to general belief, results in ai loss of strength and of volume, the 1 Star ’ being informed that in a year a 54-gallon hogshead evaporated to tho extent of three-quarters of a gallon. This five-year maturity certificate has a special significance which it is claimed has so far been overlooked by the trader Since the main source of the supply or brandy—namely, France —has been cut off it has been presumed (indeed it is known) that licenses to import brandy will be transferred from France t» South Africa and to Australia. Tins, however, is not solving any brandy problems, for up till now maturity certificates from these latter countries have required to be only three years old, against the five-year certificates from Great Britain and France. Why the five-year certificates were necessary in the case of the Continent is obscure, but in the transfer of licenses the requirement will still hold good, so thaw brandy from South Africa and Australia will now need to be five years old. And there is no brandy or any other spirits of that mature age m either of the countries, which means that the transfer of licenses will be worth exactly nothing. Brandy is already acutely short, and after Christmas it appears likely that there will be practically none at all in the country. Bum, too. is in short supply. Ins main source of supply is Jamaica, but the difficulty of getting shipping space is playing havoc with deliveries. Gin, too, is difficult to come by, for the main source of supply—Holland—• no longer is open. An attempt is being made bv at least two firms to surmount the problems created through the overrunning of Holland, and one leading Netherlands firm of distillers is opening and operating in Montreal, while another is establishing itself in Souta America. . , „ . . , In some centres in the Dominion sales of spirits by the bottle have been suspended, and allocations of case lots to hotels are limited. Some firms hay* discontinued private, trade, that is, trade apart from supplying hotels, in an endeavour to cope with the situation. In Dunedin so far no such step* have been taken, for, although hulk spirits are exceedingly short, caso goods are still in moderate supply. Tho Christmas trade is hound to deplete the bottle supply, and thereafter the shortage will be ns tfeute in case spirits as in bulk spirits, and in both sections must steadily become worse. In . tho meantime prices are steadily rising, and some brandy not long ago landed, in Auckland was increased« by 2$ 3d a bottle.

“ Tf there is no let up in the situation in the near future,” said a lead* ing publican, commenting on the position this mornimr. “ prohibitionists wilt get prohibition of spirits without worrying about elections. ft will com* automaticallv.”