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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1747, 30 August 1905, Page 10

Some particulars of the drink bill of the United States for the last year, culled from an American contemporary, may be of interest. The per capita expenditure is 15dols. 63c. on alcoholic stimulants, and 2dols. 70c. on tea, coffee, and cocoa; an increase of 9 cents on each of these classes. If the comparison is made by .gallons, it appears that 200,000,000 gallons more of coffee is consumed than of beer, and three times as many gallons of tea as of wines and spirits combined. In alcoholic drinks the greatest, increase is in spirits. It is estimated that while in 1896 the average man took nine drinks of whisky in a fortnight, he takes one every day now. This increase is attributed largely to the popularity of the “ highball ”, nd other forms m which spirits are { >akten highly diluted, especially with carbonated water. Mr Aurelius Smith formerly private secretary to the Attorney-General, is chief clerk at Christchurch to the Executive Comrai isioner of the New Zealand Exhibition *