Australian Wine For

French Colonies?

THE Australian wine trade, if it is at all alert, will try to replace some of the market lost in Europe by getting the Australian product into the French colonies of New Caledonia, New Hebrides and Tahiti, where the customary supply of wine from Algeria has been completely cut off.

As everyone knows, ordinary wine is part of the regular diet of the orthodox French families and its sudden cessation is definitely a hardship. Importers are trying to introduce Australian wines, but the price apparently is 3 francs per bottle higher than Algerian wine—and this is

more than the ordinary colonist can pay.

The fact that Australian wine has an alcoholic content of 13.5, or from 1.5 to 2 degrees more than Algerian, is no recommendation to the Frenchmen. The French people also have been accustomed to drinking a good deal of beer, imported from France and Japan, but this has now risen in price to 14 francs for a large and 7 francs for a small bottle —which also puts the overseas product out of con sideration. Here, again, there is a chance for the introduction of the excellent light beers of Australia and New Zealand.

It is reported that an American resident of Noumea is about to open a small brewery there and, if there is no reduc tion in the selling prices of the Australian wines and beers, he should do very well.

A native Papuan deacon recently was advanced to the priesthood, in the new Cathedral at Dogura, by the Bishop of New Guinea (Right Reverend Philip Strong), There are now ten Papuan Priests working in the Diocese of New Guinea.

One of the best known USS Co. liners running between Australia and New Zea land, the “Maunganui”, has been taken over as a hospital ship. She had a good record as a troopship in the last war.

She is a fine seaboat, roomy and com fortable.