THE NEW ZEALAND DRINK BILL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22066, 23 September 1933, Page 5

THE NEW ZEALAND DRINK BILL

THE FIGURES FOR 1932 Mr P. B. Adams, of this city, has compiled the New Zealand drink bill for 1932. He writes.:— . .For the calendar year 1932 the estimated direct expenditure on alcoholic drink in New Zealand was £5,204,246. The quarterly Customs and excise returns, formerly published in the . Gazette, being no longer available, the quantities have been taken from the Monthly Abstract of Statistics compiled by the Census and Statistics Office, the January issue of which in each year gives the totals for the previous 12 months. ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE, Spirits—--372,825 gallons at £4 £1.491,300 Water added la breaking down (25 per cent.' of - hulk spirits, estimated at half of , the total), say, 46,003 , gallons .. ..... .. .. .. .. 189)412 £1,077.712' Decrease from 1931: Gallons. Spirits ; G. 049 Water .. . 1G.512 Total ........ .. 22,591 Decrease from 1029: Spirits and added water 27T.072 Wines—--97.424 gallons at 40s 194,848 Decrease from 1931 .. 3G.736 • • 1 Decrease from 1929. .. 110.279 Beer. Imported—--14,910 gallons at 17s 6d .. .. .. 13.0*6 Decrease from 1931 .. 20,347 Decrease from 1930 .. 61,304 Beer. New Zealand—--5,840.708 gallons at Tl Gd .. .. .. 3,313,040. Decrease from 1031 .. 1,230,884 . Decrease from 1929 .. 4,088,547 Total for 1932 - £5,204,240 Decrease from .1931: £540,690. Decrease from 1929: £2,912,048. EXPENDITURE PER HEAD. •Mean population. 1932 (including Maoris) 1,520,104 ■ Expenditure per • head.... .. £3 8 2Expenditure per household of five persons £17.0 10 Average expenditure for each Inhabited building (based on 1921 official estimate of 4.57 persons per building) .. .. £ls 11 S PER HEAD CONSUMPTION OP LIQUORS. ! v ■ v, • Decrease .... . from year 1920. 1931. 1932. 1931. Gals. Gals. Gals. Gals. Spirits 405 .250 .244 .000 Wines’ .. 14i .088 .004 .024 Boer (imported) .'. .'. . .019 .023 .010 .013. Beer (New Zealand) .. 8.784 . C.GCG 5.799 .567As there was no material alteration in retail prices iii 1932 the prices used above are left unaltered. They arc necessarily approximate, and are not intended us wholesale prices but as average retail prices paid by the consumer. In the case of New- Zealand beer, it was., possible to buy by the gallon at 4s, or in some places even at a lower price per gallon, but this represents only a small proportion of the trade in beer. Bottled beer was sold at prices equivalent to 8s or more per gallon. As to sales .by the glass both the size ,of the glass and the price per glass vary considerably. It is believed that the bulk of the trade would be done at 6d' a glass, at which price the medium beer (about 7$ ounces) brings in approximately 10s 6d per gallon, and that 7s Gd per gallon is a conservative estimate of the average price of . beer to the customer in 1932. Tho prices of wines also vary considerably, some being lower than the price used above, but most being considerably higher. As in previous years, New Zealand wines arc not brought into account. Whisky might also be purchased by the case, at a price lower than that used above; but here again the bulk of the trade is done over the counter, the “ nip ” costing 6d or 9d according to measure, at which rates a gallon would retail for more than £4. A variation has been made this year in the method of computing the amount of water added to imported spirits, and the decrease from. 1931, shown above, in. the number of gallons consumed is largely due to this alteration. 1 - ‘ WHAT THE FIGURES MEAN, if the money represented by the drink bill were not spent on liquor, it would necessarily find its outlet in other trades; and, as the benefit would not ■be confined to any single quarter, there would be a stimulus to trade an.d business over the whole commercial field. In, addition to this direct gain, prohibition would contribute indirectly to economic prosperity by increasing efficiency, and by decreasing expenditure on prisons, courts and hospitals. Apart from Sundays and three annual closing days, the takings of the trade for 1932 amount to £16,733 per day or £697 per hour day and night.