LESS TEA.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18722, 19 June 1926, Page 10

LESS TEA.

AUSTRALIAN TASTES. DRINK CONSUMPTION. : (FROM* .oro^OWS-COBBESIOHHEOT.V SYDNEY/Juno 10. I For many years Australians were the champion; tea drinkers of the world, or at least of the white races, but mrecent years their rate of consumption lias been eclipsed by the people of Great Britain: According to calculations made by the Commonwealth Statistician's office,. Australia's _ eonsumption of tea, which averaged 7.25 ib per Wd per annum for the tenyears SOM3,;< reached :.81b during 1914-21, and isihce then has declined <to 7.811b.; consumption of Great is from'.B.42lb>in ; l9l9, and, in 1913. Tho increase is due to the female invasion; of the ,J commercial world," which is more pronounced m England than in Australia. Wherever woman. is ; employed she endeavours to introduce the morning or afternoon tea" Habit.' ~,-,. ,•"'' „ The consumption of alcoholic liquors in Australia shows only small- vana'tions in recent, years. The amount of beer- consumed shows some' reduction,; but the amount of wine remains '■unchanged, and spirits, which fell slightly during the years 1921-22-23, have since slightly increased. In the year for which latest figures are available, 19232i, the consumption of spirits per head, of the population was 043 gallons/of wine 0.50 gallons, and of beer H-08, gallons. It has been .computed that; the Very moderate drinker who consumes a pint of beer each.day>of th£ year, excluding Sundays, consumes-39 gallons, or over 2J times more than his "proper share on a population basis; It illustrates that the number-of teetotallers in Australia is greatly under estimated, for there are many, who consider themselves moderate drinkers, yet who consume more than the pint per day mentioned. ' .. . - Tobacco and Cigarettes. In the' consumption of tobacco the Australians are temperate compared with the Americans. .The Australian consumption increased from. 2 2r3rd- ; lb per head in 1914 to 3Jlb in 1924, some of the increase being due to the increase of women cigarete-smokers. The consumption of tobacco in the United States is 61b.per head and in Great Britain 4}lb. The Australian has? o sweet tooth, judging by the amount of sugar he consumes. The rate of "Consumption has remained steady at 1171b per head each year, this being far above the British consumption of 851b, and.more even than the 1011b'of the United States, where chocolate, candy, and sweet drinks account for much sugar. Australians have still the reputation or being large meat eaters, but consumption has decreased from the 1211b of beef per head and 831b' of mutton in the ten years 1904-13 to tho most recent figures of 1101b of beef and btflb of mutton. Increased prices since