BEER CONSUMPTION

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 58, 9 March 1923, Page 3

BEER CONSUMPTION

HIGH DUTY AND PRICE CAUSE DROP. The British Brewers' Society, in a review of the brewing and licensed trade for the past year, published in the " Daily Telegraph," state that the brewing and licensed trade generally has seen a large falling off in consumption both of beer and spirits, due to excessive tax- j ation and to .low wages and unemployment. Compared with pre-war taxation, the beer duty still remains thirteen times as great and the spirit duty five times as great. The average pint of beer asirt pays 3 l-3d in duty, and the bottle of spirits 8s s£d. In 1913 36,000,----000 barrels of beer were consumed, but during the war the quantity fell by twothirds. In 1920-21 the consumption rose to 26,000,000, in the next year' fell to 23,000,000, and for the current year ending March next is hardly likely to reach 18,000,000 barrels. Materials except hops are cheaper, but diminished and steadily-falling output more than offsets that saving, and no. reduction of tr«> price of beer is Eaid to be possible until the Chancellor of the Exchequer substantially reduces the duty. The Chancellor, in his turn, it is pointed out, "is also feeling the pinch. Two years ago the tax on beer brought in over £123,000,000 sterling, while in the current year the Chancellor will be lucky is he gets as much as £90,000,000. Speaking just before be left for America, Mr. Baldwin said that no one would like to reduce the price of the pint of beer by 2d more than he would, but that it would. cost him £40.000,000 of revenue to do so. Some are of opinion that if the present, high duty is maintained he may in any case have to face a loss approaching that amount. The' retail trade, too, especially in the North of England and the agricultural districts, is suffering badly from the inability of the would-be consumer to buy any but the very smallest quantity of his favourite beverage, for the reasou that its price has soared beyond the reach of his pocket." " Therefore," the review concludes, " both.traders and the consuming public will await with more than usual interest the coming Budget, which at last it is hoped will afford them some substantial relief from a burden they have long borne with patience, but under which they are now becoming restive."