A TIDAL WAVE OF WETNESS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4486, 1 November 1922, Page 4

A TIDAL WAVE OF WETNESS.

An article of remarkable interest appears in “Leslie’s Weekly” (of New York), dated June 3, 1922, from the pen of Samuel Hopkins Adams, one of the foremost journalists in the States. S

This article explains Ihow the opnsumption of wine in the United State, has now reached the amazing total of 100,090',000 gallons per annum. The highest mark in pre-prohibltion days was certainly not above 75,000,000 gallons. An increase pf 33 per cent, is certainly an unexpected development of tihe dry regulations I Yet this manufacture and consumption are almost wholly within the law.

Although it is legal to make and sell “hear beer,” Mr Adams shows that about .10,0'00,000 barrels of “lawless” beer were manufactured in 1921, the bulk of it being produced in private homers. Much ’of this finds its

way to the saloons, which are operating more and more openly in the large* cities. There are probably' 1000 saloons in New York City ana about 1500 in Philadelphia. The legalising pf the immense wine industry makes a fascinating tale. Where, before prohibition, thexCalifornians had made their wines and sold them at Ipw prices In competition with the more favoured foreign vintages, they now sold grapes, the raw matei?al pf wine, in such quah- , tities and at such prices as 'had never been dreamed of. 86,000 acres pf hew vineyards were added to the Californian plantings in 1921, an increase of 21 per cent, pf the tptal acreage.

“.The railroads of the country carries in 1921 about 400,000,000 tons of grapes. On the basis of expert manufacture, ode ton yields 150 gallons of wine; but, as a matter of fact, the home manufacture method stretches it out to more than 200 gallons'., Accepting the former basis, however, 60,000,000' gallons are thus to be reckoned upon, at the smallest estimate, as having been derived from railroad shipments.

“Imported raisins give a significant clue to what is going on. The year 1920 saw ten times as l many raisins imported as in the four previous years' put together. Ofi course this may have been in response to a sudr

den and passionate addiction to rice pudding pn the pait of the American public; but the ricegrowihg figures fail to support the 'hypothesis. There is at least ground for suspecting that the raisin in this manifestation represents that potentiality known as ‘kick.’ Similarly, currant imports doubled in the four years from 1916 to 1920. Taking all elements ipto

consideration, it is by ho means an extreme estimate to set the figure of 100,000,000' gallons of wine •as the present yearly rate of production 4>f this country. Thp former high mark was certainly not over 75,000,000 gallons.”

In view of the facts recorded above it is no wonder that Mr Adams declares that “we are becoming, perhaps have already become, a nation of home brewers anA home vintners.”

The New Zealand voter wants to know, “Is Prohibition a success ?” This article shows that it is not, and never can be. Vote Restoration and National Continuance I*