INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 June 1919, Page 4

INDUSTRIES COMMITTEE.

THE WINE-GROWING INDUSTRY. By Telegraph.--PMM Association. Wellington, Last Night. Giving evidence before the Parliamentary Indutsries Committee, the Rev. R.JS. Gray, president of the New Zealand Alliance, regarding the proposal of the New Zealand Vitioultural Association that the wine-growing industry in New Zealand should he excluded from the provision of any future prohibition law, said the position he would take was that the mere fact that this was a New Zealand industry did not put it on. any difftrnt footing to barley-growing or beef-tnkk. tag. Until it could be shown that winedrinking was not Injurious he saw to reason to exempt the industry as "proposed. Although he was unable at the time to give definite figures, he was prepared to state that in many of tfes European wine-drinking communities • drunkenness was. great. If it was 41M6- x tial, exemption could be granted with regard to-wine-growing for iMdlolUl • purposes. Replying to a question, Mr. Griray said he was aware that New Zealand, wines were lighter than some other liquors by 18 p/ir cent, of alcohol, he believed; but liquor of that strength would make * man groggy if he took «n<n»gb. of it Ifr. Gray jjfjuired whether the cotnmitte*' proposed to reeotnmend an amendment of the law this session, because at pr*t< ent the proposal to be submitted wit ■ prohibition of all alooholio lkraott. The chairman, Mf.Wilkinton, Mid tb# committee rlty not propose to make «uA' '\ a recommendation.