THE DRINK BILL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9503, 28 May 1913, Page 7

THE DRINK BILL.

ALLIANCE FIGURES SHOW AN INCREASE. Following its usual custom, the New Zealand Alliance has prepared a statement showing the "drink bill ' for the Dominion for the year 1912, based upon the Customs returns of liquor cleared for home consumption and beer manufactured in the Dominion. The basis of valuation adopted by the Rev. E. Walker,*who for mamyears up to 1910 prepared and published a similar annual statement, has been retained, although, as stated by him in his report for 1910. the cost to the actual consumer is probably more. The period covered is from January Ist to December 31st. [ DRINK BILL FOR 1912 Spirits, 863,796 gallons, at £2 per gallon (increase 71.006 gallons), £1.727,592. : Wines, 153.616 gallons, at £2 per gallon | (increase 10.464 gallons), £307,232. ( Imported l>ee>\ 296,380 gallons, at 6s nor j gallon (increase 22,730 gallons), £83,914.* , Beer brewed in New Zealand, 9,787,120 gallons, at 4s per gallon (increase 260,180 . gallons), £1,957.424. ! The total is £4,081,162. The total for the , year 1911 was £3,859,371, the increase being , £221,791. , The estimated mean population for 1912 i was 1,088,860. The cost of liquor per head \ for 1912 was £3 14s llgd, an increase com ' , pared with last year of 2s sd. , The quantities of different liquors conjsumed per head of population work out a?' under: Spirits 0.79 gallons, wines 0.141 gallons, beer 9.26 gallons. WHAT THE MONEY COULD DO. "An increase of 2s 5d per head is showi over 1911," continues the report. "In New South Wales the increase for the same period was 3s Bel. It is right to say also that- if the basis of computation adopted in New South Wales were applied in our case, the consumption per head would appear as £3 Is sd, instead of £3 14s ll^d. "The figures ought surely to give all thoughtful persons serious cause for reflection," states the compiler, Mr A. Adams, of Dunedin. "The gross total of £4,031.162 spent on drink in one year in rhis little country speaks eloquently of the urgent need of reform. This sum would pay the whole of the passenger fares and freight for goods carried on all the railways in tho Dominion, and in addition pay interest on thi* total cost of the whole railway system, and then leave a balance to credit. It would pay the whole cost of education- three times over, and leave a balance sufficient to recoup to the Treasury. The whole liquor revenue, if the money were distributed among the persons employed in our reproductive industries, would increase their wages over 50 per cent. Taking the average household of five persons, the average expenditure on drink per household (including children of all ages) works out at £lB 14s 9id. Now it is, of course, beyond question that in many homes all the inmates are practically abstainers, and the same remark applies to the inmates of asylums, hospitals, gaols, and other public institutions, therefore, that the charge for drink upon the income of homes w) ere the inmates use (or abuse) it must attain a much higher average."