NINETEEN MILLIONS DOWN.

Grey River Argus, 7 June 1922, Page 2

NINETEEN MILLIONS DOWN.

In a recent issue of the “Metropolitan Magazine,” Frank G. Shepherd, a well-known writer, gives the results of his inquiiies reg-rding the effect of the prohibition law. The figures he quotes were supplied by business and civic authorities, ami they show tlrnt whereas lu-fore prohibition it was estimated there were 20,000,000 drinker-, there are now only 1,000,000 steady drinkers, with perhaps another 1,500,O()0 “casual” drinkers. Tlie latter number is steadily decreasing becansf. —in spite of i ll that is said about liquor being plentiful—Government analysts have issued warnings that 95 out of every 100 bottles of liquor offered by bootloggers contain poisonous concoction.-., and not genuine spirits. Mr Shepherd says that the “amount of liquor both legal and illegal withdrawn for beverage consumption works out at less than three girls per head. In 1917 the consumption w: s 20 gallons per head. The consumption by the ‘drinkers’ has been reduced from 110 quarts to 32 quarts per man.” This is good going in a little over two years. After visiting . the E.S.A., Sir John Salmond has declared that “it seemed quite feasible that the younger generation may grow up without cultivating the taste for alcohol.'’ Prohibition in New Zealand i.‘ worth a trial.— X.Z. Alliance Publicity.