CENTRAL AFRICA TROUBLE BREWING CUSTOMS AGENTS AND SPECIAL BRANCH DETECTIVES CHARGED WITH 
SAFEGUARDING THE BORDERS OF THE SPRAWLING RHODESIAN FEDERATION HAVE BEEN RUN 
RAGGED LATELY . IN THE NORTH, THERE IS A STEADY TRAFFIC 
OF WHITE MERCENARIES AND AFRICAN SOLDIERS FROM THE ROUTED KATANGESE ARMY, 
WHO SLIP ACROSS THE CONGO LINE TO PEDDLE THEIR WEAPONS TO 
EAGER WHITE AND BLACK RHODESIANS WHO MAY ONE DAY USE THEM 
ON EACH OTHER . IN THE EAST, SMUGGLERS FROM THE PORTUGUESE 
COLONY OF MOZAMBIQUE MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH THE WILD, MOUNTAINOUS BUSH 
TO BRING IN DAGGA WEED (MARIJUANA) AND TAKE OUT GOLD STOLEN 
BY WORKMEN IN RHODESIAN MINES . LAST WEEK THE HARRIED BORDER 
GUARDS HAD A NEW CHORE : TO PREVENT THE SMUGGLING OF 
HOPS INTO SOUTHERN RHODESIA . AT BEITBRIDGE, ON THE LIMPOPO RIVER, 
A CUSTOMS OFFICER DUTIFULLY SEARCHED THE LUGGAGE OF A VACATIONER RETURNING 
FROM SOUTH AFRICA, THEN WHISPERED, " MAN, WHAT DOES A HOP 
LOOK LIKE ? NO ONE HERE HAS EVER SEEN ONE ! 
" THE HOP CRISIS RESULTS FROM A $28 DUTY ON EVERY 
POUND OF IMPORTED HOPS IMPOSED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF SIR ROY 
WELENSKY BECAUSE TAX REVENUE FROM COMMERCIAL BEER HAS NOT BEEN UP 
TO EXPECTATIONS . " THIS IS DUE TO THE SPREAD OF 
HOME BREWING, " COMPLAINED THE GOVERNMENT . HOME BREWERS ARE GENERALLY 
RESPECTABLE CITIZENS, RANGING FROM RAILROAD ENGINEERS AND CIVIL SERVANTS TO BANK 
CLERKS AND GARAGE MECHANICS MEN WHO FIND COMMERCIAL BEER TOO EXTRAVAGANT 
FOR THEIR BUDGETS . THE NEW DUTY WOULD MAKE HOME BREW 
TWICE AS COSTLY AS THE COMMERCIAL STUFF . QUICKLY FORMING A 
PRESSURE GROUP GRANDLY NAMED THE AMATEUR BREWERS & VINTNERS ASSOCIATION, SOME 
300 DO-IT-YOURSELF BRAUMEISTERS FIRED OFF A PROTEST TO WELENSKY, POINTING OUT 
THAT HOME BREWING " HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 
FOR CENTURIES, AND AS THE BRITISH EMIGRATED TO THE COLONIES, THIS 
TRADITION HAS BEEN ACCEPTED AS THE BIRTHRIGHT OF THE ORDINARY MAN 
BY EVERY GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH . 