XN000022-1985-07-31 — Page 5

VEĽNESDAY, JULY 31, 1985

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ONE OF THE RESOLUTIONS INCREASED THE IMBALANCE CHARGE+, INTENDED TO COMPENSATE THOSE TERRITORIES WHICH IMPORT MORE HAIL BY WEIGHT THAN THEY EXPORT, BY NEARLY 50 PER CENT FROM THE EQUIVALENT OF $14.50 TO $21.25 PER KG,

AS HONG KONG EXPORTS ALMOST TWICE AS MUCH MAIL AS IT IMPORTS, THE POST OFFICE EXPECTS TO PAY IMBALANCE CHARGES AMOUNTING TO $40 MILLION THIS YEAR AND $54 MILLION NEXT YEAR.

+NOTWITHSTANDING THE PRESENT INCREASE TO THE AIRMAIL POSTAGE, THESE RATES HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED AT VIRTUALLY THE SAME LEVEL FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND IN FACT, IN 1981, AIRMAIL RATES TO NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA WERE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED, HE SAID.

POSTERS OF BULK QUANTITIES OF INLAND PRINTED PAPERS WILL CONTINUE TO ENJOY A DISCOUNT OF 10 PER CENT ON POSTING OF 3 000 ITEMS AT ANY ONE TIME.

MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REBATE SCHEME AND DETAILS OF NEW POSTAGE RATES MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE POST OFFICE ENQUIRY SECTION AT 5-231071/2.

MORE SAMPLES OF WINE BEING TESTED ****

MORE SAMPLES OF WINE IMPORTED FROM AUSTRIA AND GERMANY ARE BEING EXAMINED, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY HAS SO FAR FINISHED TESTS ON 46 BRANDS OF AUSTRIAN WINE AND SIX BRANDS OF GERMAN WINE.

OF THESE, 11 BRANDS OF AUSTRIAN WINE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO CONTAIN DIETHYLENE GLYCOL.

THE LABORATORY IS NOW TESTING FIVE MORE BRANDS OF AUSTRIAN WINE AND 13 GERMAN WINES AND THE RESULTS WOULD BE KNOWN IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

THE DEPARTMENT HAS SO FAR RECOVERED 1 427 BOTTLES OF TOXIC WINES - 1 186 BOTTLES WERE SEIZED FROM IMPORTERS, 85 BOTTLES FROM RETAILERS AND 56 BOTTLES WERE SURRENDERED BY THE PUBLIC.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE 11 BRANDS OF AUSTRIAN WINE IDENTIFIED TO CONTAIN THE ANTI-FREEZE CHEMICAL,

BRAND

DIETHYLENE GLYCOL CONTENT (WEIGHT/VOLUME)

1)

WE I SSURGUNDER BARONESSE

WE INBAUGEBIET KLOSTERNEUBURG OSTERREICHISCHER QUALITATSWEIN WEINGUT BRUDER GRILL

FELS/KREMS 1983

0.75L

0.02 PER CENT

/2) KUENRINGER