MAUNGANUI'S LIQUOR.

Shannon News, 11 July 1924, Page 2

MAUNGANUI'S LIQUOR.

UNDER BOND AT 'FRISCO. The R.M.S* Maunganui, which returned to Wellington yesterday morning from San Francisco, was the first vessel from this side of the world to be permitted under the United States new regulations to take wines, spirits, and beer for the ship's. use into the Califomiian port. Hitherto, as no vessels were permitted to take spirituous liquors into a United States port it was necessary for the Wel-lington-San Francisco mail boats to land the pontents of their bars at Papeete, excepting only sufficient to carry the vessels to San Francisco. The landing of the liquor at Papeete was an arduous task. The bottles had to be counted, labelled, packed, and then checked by the local officials on the wharf, and conveyed thence by lorry to a bond. On the return run from. San Francisco a similar process had to be gone through when re-ship-ping the liquor at the Tahitian portUnder the new order, liquor is removed to the ship's bond on entering port at San Francisco, and when the vessel berths a United States Customs officer goes aboard and affixes his seal to the door of the bond. When the vessel is about to sail the officer examines his seal and grants the ship clearance. The victualling department of the Maunganui are well pleased with the innovation.