SEW ZEALAND'S DRINK BILL FOR 1905.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 13

SEW ZEALAND'S DRINK BILL FOR 1905.

New Zealand's drink bill for 1905 has been calculated by the Rev. Edward Walker, and is pjrven below. For comparison the figures for 1904 are given over those of 1905. The total expenditure for the year was £3,120,705, as against £3,152,849 in the previous being a reduction of £32,144 notwithstanding an officially estimated increase of 25,284 in the population. This represents a diminished consumption per head of 2s Bd, the first substantial variation by way of reduction since 1894 ; the effect of the vigorous temperance propaganda throughout the intervening years of commercial prosperity ha\ing shown itself simply in preventing the enormous expansion of the i annual drink bill which Mr Walker holds would otherwise have resulted. During the previous 10 years of commercial depression the drink bill per head fell annually wifch slight variations from £3 16s in 1885 to £3 Is Id in 1894. Bj^ 1904 it had risen again to £3 10s 10id and last year was £3 8s 2id, or £17 0s ll^d per household, taking five persons as the household average. Whether or not the whole of this 2s 8d reduction last .year was due to temperance effort, including the restraint upon the trade of a wholesome fear in view of the local option polls, Mr Walker is not prepared £o affirm ; but, apart from extraordinary effort in that direction, regards the drink bill as indicating the degree of public prosperity or depression with the accuracy of a barometer. This means not that more or fewer people drink, but that the harder drinkers consume more or less in proportion to the money at their disposal, which also means that the bulk of the consumption is shamefully wasteful and mischievous. He inclines to the view that this time the reduction must be credited, almost entirely, if not wholly, to the temperance reform movement. In perusing the following calculations it must, be remembered that while the expenditure i 6 estimated upon the cost per gallon, as if the wiiole of the liquor were so purchased, the cost to the consumer is enormously greater by the glass or the nip, the form in which probably immensely the greater proportion of the whole- is bought. JANUARY 1 to DECEMBER 31 (inclusive), 1904. I Cost ncr ,'

♦Estimated population, 915,060 * The population is ca.lcuk.ted by tak'ngtlie mean of the four quarterly estimates iss\' ed by the Registrar -general, including Maori! but not including the population (12,292) ~st the Cook and other i«land3 in the Pacific annexed to the colony in 1901. + The slight a.ppa.renfc excess in these tOL&ls is accounted for by unexpressed fractions of a farthing in the amounts standing over them.

Eairers of Poultry should use NimmO aitd Blajb's Game and Poulthy Meal, which is composed of the best ground bones acd shells, specially prepared to meet the requirements of the last-increasing poultry industry. It if made up in 34!b bag*, *t Is 9d w-K. "*jjli wr

Coat to Head of Gallons. Consumers. Population. Spirits at £2 per gallon, 647,151 ; increase, 27.502 . . . . £1,294 302 £1 9 Wines at £2 per gallon, 120.101; decrease, 2404 ... 240 202 0 3 4 J [reported beer at 6s per gallon, 203,550; decrease, 590 .. .. 61065 0 1 4| Colonial beer at 4s per gallon. 7.786,400; increase, 231,200 .- 1 557 200 1 15 0 £3,152,8i9 t£3 10 10J ♦Estimated population, 839,776. JANUARY to DECEMBER 31 (inclusive), 1905. Cost per Cost to Head of Gallons. Consumers. Population. Spirits at £2 per gallon, 634,826; decrease. 12,325 .. ..£1269,632 £1 7 9 Wines at £2 per gallon, 113,160 , decrease, 6341 .. .. 226,320 4 11 J [mported beer at 6s per gallon, 218,300; increase, 14,750 .. 65,400 1 5 Colonial beer at 43 per gallon, 7,796,240; increase, 9810 -. 1,559.213 114 C£ £3,120,705 +£3 8 2J