LESS WHISKY DRUNK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12931, 29 July 1905, Page 2 (Supplement)

LESS WHISKY DRUNK.

REMARKABLE DECREASE IN THE

CONSUMPTION OF SPIRITS. There is an extraordinary falling off in the amount of spirits consumed per head in England.

• The total consumption of spirits in 1903-4 was 42,168,021 gallons. In 1904-5 it sank to 40,076,652 gallons. Going back five years to 1899-1900 the total amount of spirits consumed was 48,025,415 gallons, a figure which emphasises' the remarkable character of the decrease, which has been almost constant sinoe that date. .

For the first three months of the present year the decrease in whisky alone has amounted to some hundreds of thousands of gallons. "The fact seems to be that Ave are witnessing a change in the habits of the people," declared the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the occasion of the last Budget. 'Mr. Henry Walter Gilbey, of thev great wine and spirit firm of W. -and S. Gilbey, said: "For our own part we find that the decrease is confined to the second quality of whisky, and from this I think I am justified in deducing that the middle classes, who have been ana are being teed municipally and imperially, are economising in this direction, among others. " Still, I must admit that this decrease shows itself in circles whore one would think that the 'power of purchase' would be unimpaired. , In two or three West End clubs that I know personally there has been an extraordinary falling off in the returns from liquors.' In one case the fall is about £700 a year, and in another, a club of about 1500 members, the decrease is £500. " To the fact that there has been a heavy decline for the first three months of this year I do not attach so very much importance, for that is the ' Budget quarter,' and the movements of whisky and other spirits out of band are not altogether reliable as an index of actual consumption. " Dealers might think that there was no chance of an increase in the duty, and would only take out what was actually needed. Another year they might fear an increase, and take out all they could. Then, the amount of duty paid would be larger, even though people drank 110 more," ■