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Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 270, 23 November 1901, Page 2

THE COLONY’S DRINK BILL. The table prepared by the Rev. JMr "Walker, showing the increase in the colony’s drink bill, will come as a great surprise to those who have been under the impression that the consumption of liquor jn the colony was becoming less although the population was increasing. It is not pleasing to learn that there has been such a substantial increase, and it is pot easy to understand when looked at

merely on the surface of things. There ! certainly does not appear to be anything j like the amount of drinking there was in j other days, and it is fair to assume that with all the crusades in favor of temperance there are more total abstainers in proportion to the population than there were four or five years ago. Then why is there such a tremendous increase in the amount of drink consumed ? In four years, it has, wo are told, gone up, from £2,205,900 to .£2,747.170. It might be said, “ But there has also been a large increase in the population.” That argu- 1 ment is upset by the return per head j being given, which shows that the increase j has been from £2 19s old to £8 8s 41J per head of population. An explanation is offered that the war and the general prosperity have both contributed to this large increase, but that should certainly not account for it altogether. Wc would like to know if in the increase per head the Maoris of the King Country are taken into account. If we are to believe all that we hear, a tremendous amount of liquor is being carried into the King Country and supplied to the Maoris. It is hardly ere liblo that the ordinary person drinks more now than he did a few years ago, for it is generally recognised that the young New Zealanders are not growing up as fund ot drink were t lie early settlers who had greater hardships to bear, and many of whom held the belief that alcohol was always a safe medicine. It might be urged that the Rev. Mr IV alker, being so strong in his prohibition tendencies, is not ’ to be accepted as a reliable authority, but he has certainly proved himself to be a failman.