DRINKING STATISTICS FROM

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue XIII, 25 November 1876, Page 3

DRINKING STATISTICS FROM

■i '.PRESTON. ; ;- : ■' (Wβ take fronjPan* -article'in , ' the Alliance j ifews, the following statistical comparison:— ■ I From the'Eiclio returns TecentlyypnblUhed, Mr. •Vf~ Hoyle, of Bury, shews that the quantity of* in''toxicatinirllQ.uon consumed In the United Kingdom i during 1876, gives an 7s 4dJ)er 'head for every man, woman,- and child in the kingi dom. Preston toying 'a population- of 88,000, therefore its share of this expenditure will be £375,633 6s JBd, which, if appropriated as follows :—-yv • , ••:' ' Would payfo'ronrwaterworke extension 55,000 0 0 .'Would provide a fine art gallery ...33,000' 0 0 ' Would provide a public free library .. ' 30,000 0 0 ! Would pay for new covered market .. 20,000 0 0 ! Would provide a reformatory for fallen • :;- women .. •• •'• .... 38,000 0• 0\ Would provide two public gymnasiums 6,000 0 © IWould provide an orphan home, and: - ■■■■■ i endow the same .. '.-' ~ 15,000 0 0 Would give to the infirmary .. '.. 12,000 ft 0 Would give for educational purposes . 10,000 0 0 Wonld purchase 400.000 yards of calico atfld .. .. •• -• -■•'. 10,000 0 0 Would purchase 80,000 yards of flannel at2s .. .. '• ••" •• 8,000- 0 0 Would purchase 35,000 books at 3s each' 5,260 0 0 Would purchase 9,000 tons of coal at 15s 0,760 0 0 Would purchase 1,600 sewing machines ' at£s .. 7,500 0 0 Would purchase 3,000 wringing machines at £2 .. .. .. .. 6,000 0 0 Would purchase 2,000 silver lever watches at£4 8,000 0 0 Would purchase 12,000 pairs of blankets atlss .. .. 9,000 0 0 Would purchase 12,000 chairs at 10s .. 6,000 0 0 Would purchase 4,000 tables at£2 .. 8,000 0 0 Would purchase 30,000 yards of carpeting at 3s 6d .. .... .. 5,250 0 0 Would purchase 12,000 sets of knives and forks at 10s 6,000 0 0 Would purchase 2,000 bedsteads at £3 6,000 0 0 Would purchase 10,000 pairs of boots atlOs • .. 5,000 0 0 Would purchaso 10,000 hats at 15s .. 7,600 0 0 Would purchase 10,000 bonnets at 15s 7,600 0 0 Would purchaso 3,000 men's suits at £3 9,000 0 0 Would purchase 3,000 women's dresses at £3 9,000 0 0 Would purchaso 0,000 packs of flour at £2 12,000 0 0 Would purchase 6,000 loads of potatoes atl6s .. 4,000 0 0 Would purchaso OO.OOOIbs. of beef at 0d 3,375 0 0 Would purchase 40,0001b5. of butter at Is 6d ' 3,000 0 0 Would give to 60 local Sabbath-schools £100 each 5,000 0 0 Would give to blind and other local Institutions 5,000 0 0 Wonld give t6 Lifeboat Institute .. 2,600 0 0 Balance divided amongst those publicans and beerEcllers who volunteer to shut up .. .. ■• .. 15,508 6 8 £376,633 6 8 If this large sum had been spent as abovo indicated, what an impotu3 it would have given to the trade of our town; and how many happy homes and smiling faces wonld have been the result. Header—reflect 1 this is what the town might have got! Look oa the other side, and see what It did get. What Preston got for the £376,533 63 8d it spent upon intoxicating liquors in 1875, the. following statistics will shew :— £ a. d. To pay for the maintenance and looking after criminals, paupers, and lunatics 21,370 8 3 To pay for the police force .. .. 7,297 17 8 £28,674 6 11 Hundreds of miserable and unhappy homes. Thousands of hungry and uneducated children. 2528 persons apprehended or proceeded against—of those 712 were females lots of wife kicking 1 Murder * 1 Attempt to murder 3 Rapes and attempts 5 Shooting, stabbing, and wounding 5 Inflicting bodily harm 10 Deserting and neglecting their families 34 Habitual drunkards 700 For drunkenness 143 Known thieves were dealt with 275 Prostitutes 62 Assaults on the police 396 Other assaults 28 Bastardy orders disobeyed 349 Robberies 44 For cruelty to animals 48 Larceny cases (offenders under Iβ years old) 104 Other larceny cases 210 Offences against the Vagrant Act 33 Illegally selling intoxicating drink 134 Summonses for non-payment of Poor Bates 2380 Other summonses 40 Publicans reported 29 Beerhouse-keepers reported

173 Known thieves at large 23 Receivers of stolen goods 41 Suspected persons at large . 102 Houses of bad character—o[ these 29 are public-houses and 13 beer-houses Any quantity of Sabbath-breaking and blasphemy. The above does not include County Court cases. Now, whether we take three-fourths or two-thirds of these evils as being caused by drink, we need make no abatement whatever, as the cases which are novor made public will much moco than make up for any allowance of this kind.