WHAT WE DRINK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14277, 28 July 1908, Page 6

WHAT WE DRINK

AN INTERESTING RETURN. "Tim consumption of articles ui common use" is the title of a parliamentary pape. which (savs the Wellington correspondent of the Southland News) as a .natter of fact contains statements which arc of more than ordinary interest. For instance, last year tho quantity of n?i r n- s ™ nsmnw ' '» the Dominion waa 740,936ga1, or an average of 2.46 gal per head of the adult male population. The duty paid 011 that amount was 110 less than £592, /49, or £l 19s 4d per head of tho adult male population It is '11 wresting to note that the figures show a considerable increase on those fot the previous year, when tho average consumption was 2.34 gal and tho average duty was £1 17s 6d. 4b to beer, tho figures are surprising. During tlie year 9,0'9,567gal ol tho New Zealand hrewed articlo were consumed, and 279,108 gal weic 'niported, making & total of 9,328 675 gal available for consumption. Taking tho male and 'etnale population over 15 years of age as being (in-' eluding Maoris) 665,777, that gives esch one an average of 13,6 gal of . Kew Zealand brewed beer and 0.42 gal per hoad of imported beer, or nearly 13igal pe.t head for every )>crson in New Zealand who is over the ago of 15 years. For Hie imported articlo the duty paid amounted to £27,901, or an aierage of lOd per head. The excise duty on the New Zealand brewed beer averaged 5s 4Jd per heatl. The consumption of wine amounted to 146,175ga1, which means that the averago consumption of every one over 15 years of age was 0.22ga1, and the duty paid was Is 3j>d per head. Tho tobacco consumed amounted to no less than 2,156,7451b, which is 7.151b per head of the adult male population, and the average duty paid wus £1 4b IOJd. In addition, duty amounting to £150,489 was paid on cigarettes, and snut. An enormous quantity of tea is con- ■ 6\unetl annually. During t.he year tho . quantity reached the 'huge total < , 6,770,1631b, or 6.931b per howl of the total' population. The quantity of sugar cons sumed was 104,173,4401b, or 106.61b per head of the total population. I Incidentally, it may- bo mentioned that tho quantity of New Zealand-made lxconsumed during the past year was 73Q,687gal more than that consumed during. 1906, and the- excise duty went up from £103,966 to £113,120, or an iucreaso of , 2i<l per head of the population over 15 ' years of age. r