LAST YEAR'S BRINK BILL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13889, 29 April 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

LAST YEAR'S BRINK BILL.

a AN INCREASE OF is A HEAD. From January 1 to December 31, 1906, Now Zealanders devoted about £3,360,000 to liquor, lyi nverage of £3 lis lfd per head of the total population, compared with £3 8s 2-Jd for tho preceding year. This information was compiled by the Rev. Edward TOdkor, in accordance with his annual custom.

Mr Walker says it does not need very keen observation to perceive that the young men of the colony, taken,as-a whole, are fast surrendering their reputation of nondrinkers, and that this and the continued phenomenal prosperity of the , country, which gives the drinkers more io spend, sufficiently explain tho t-Jirco shillings, f less a halfpenny, incroased expondituro per head of population last year. I'lio gross amount, as per Custoins and excise retitrns, upon the' basis of its cost to tho consumers, as if the wholo wero purchased uy tho gallon at gallon rates, was £3,360,121, an increase of £239,416. But as tho bulk of it- was purchased at much higher rales by tho-glass o r the "nil)," not always brimming full nor always undiluted, it is likely that the consumers really paid nearer iivo than three millions for it. Mr Walker asks : " Can tile commerce of lh 0 colony aJFord this enormous waste? 'Iho published annual'drink bills "to" date* ' of this young country, all 0 n a similar basis of calculation, total £93,287,931, tho actual expenditure probably considerably exceeding 150 millions," he adds. Ihe following table shows'tho volume of Iho drink traflic for tho past two years:— January 1 lo December 31 (inclusive), ISOS. Cost per r,, t° Head of (xa lons. Consumers. Population Spirits at i£2 per gallon, • 631,826; decrease 12.325 f1,2G9,C-52 £1 7 n Wines at £2 per gallon, •• 113,100 ; decrease, 8941 220,320 'o i m Imported beer at 0s per * gallon, 218,300; incrcaso . ■ p l . 4 '™, 65,490 0 1 5 Colonial beer at 4s per gallon, 7,766,240; increase, 0310 .. .. 114 02

43,120,705 «3 8 2J Jvaliniated population, 915,060. January 1 to December 31 (inclusive), 1906. . 6ost per Cost to Head of c!„,V) i°™' „ Consumers > Population. Spirits, at Sfl per gallon, 632,324; 57,498 i1,384,G48 £1 9 3? Awries at per gallon, 118,107; increase. 49i7 236,214 05 0 Imported beer at Gs per gallon, 251,010 j incieaso n 3 f 3 -°i '5,483 0 1 7 Uoiomnl beer at 4s per gallon, 8,318,880; increase, 522,610 .. .. 1,663,776 115 2j ,„ .. , , £3,360,121 t£3 U 1? Estimated population, 941,430; increase 29,430. '

The population is calculated by taking tho mean of tho foitr quarterly estimates issiied by tho Eegistrar-general, and adding Maoris (47.731 as per last, census), hut not iho. population (12,340) at tho Cook aiid other islands in the Pacific aiinticod to the colony in 1901. _ t The slight apparent excess in these totals is accounted fdr by unexpressed fractions of a farthing in the amount's- standing over them.