The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1135, 30 September 1880, Page 2

The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1880,

That the people of our two Islands are improving as to their social condition and habits we think is fully proved by returns which come before Us. Among other marks of increasing morality is the. fact that there are fewer illigitimate births than in former years, and a less per centage than in any other of the Australasian Colonies. "We have more divorces than formerly, but this we take it to be because the process of connubial separations are less costly and more easily procurable than when the new law of divorce came into force. With respect to the temperance movement, there is a very large improvement. We take the figures for the entire years 1870 and 1879, and we must premise that the mean ofthe European population for the former year was 250,000, and for the latter year 450,000 — the increase being therefore 80 per cent. Had the comparison been with the present year, the difference in population would have been about 90 per cent. The first table relates to the con--sumption of spirituous liquors ; the second to that of tea, sugar, coffee, and cocoa , and the third to that of tobacco, cigars, and snuff. The details are taken from the Customs returns, except in the case of Colonial Beer, the brew ot which we have obtained from other sources. In each case the accuracy of the statistics may be relied on : —

Here we have the very remarkable fact brought clearly out that the drinking habits of the people have not kept pace with the increase in the population. To take spirits alone the consumption was slightly over two gallons per head iv 1870, and rather over one gallon and three-eights per head in 1879. To take wine, the consumption in 1870 was slightly over five-eights of a gallon per head, and in 1879 it was seven-sixteenths of a gallon per head. To take beer, in 1870 the consumption was nearly nineteen gallons per head ; in 1879 it was under fourteen gallons per head ; or take all these descriptions of " liquid poison" together, for the first period the consumption was twentyone and a-half gallons ; for the second it was only fifteen and a-half gallons. Although there was some increase in the duties on spirits in 1879, the increase in the revenue from these sources was only 27 per cent., while the population increased 80 per cent. The total number of gallons is indeed large enough in all conscience in each case, but the figures representing the Colonial beer are from returns of the brew, and probably 10 per cent, might be deducted for waste ancl beer that had turned bad. Anyhow, there is nothing very injurious in Colonial beer, even though, in Sir William Fox's opinion, it may be classed as an " -^necessary." It will bring these figures into more striking relief now if we look at the second table, wUich represents the chief articles of domestic consumption, which are always ranged in opposition to alcoholic drinks. Here the opposite is true to what we have had to affirm regarding spirituous liquors. Instead of a decrease in the rate of consu mption there is an immense increase. In tea the increase is no less than 151 per cent., in sugar 140 per cent. In coffee ancl cocoa, on the other hand* the increase was only 25 per cent. It is noticeable that the increase in the use of tea ancl sugar, although progressive, has been most marked in the year in which tlie duty on tea was reduced by 2 per lb., ancl on sugar by £d per lb. ; but as the new duties came into force on lst January, 1879, their effect must have been averaged over the whole year, and we may fairly suppose that the heavy clearances of the first quarter would be counterbalanced by lighter clearances as the year advanced. It is possible, however, the low duty may cause less sugar to be left in bond than formerly. Making every allowance for such disturbing' causes as these, however, we cannot but regard both sets of figures as very hopeful, as showing a tendency in the population to give up the harmful beverages in favor of the " cup that cheers but not inebriates." The last table exhibits the progress of the habit of smoking, a much less harmful one than that of drinking, but still a bad habit. Here the increase of consumption has been 52 per cent., while the population increased 80 per cent. This, again, is an improvement in the average, either of the number of smokers or in the extent to which smokers indulge the habit. On the whole we should b - inclined to infer that our rising generation are neither smokers nor drinkers, ancl that in these respects we are decidedly on the mend.

As will be seen by our Cablegrams this evening, the dark clouds which for some time have been gathering in the east of Europe are becoming blacker, heavier ancl more angry. The Porte still refuses to cecede Dulcigno to the Montenegrins, as agreed upon by the Treaty of Berlin. Montenegro has asked the combined fleet at Ragusa to enforce tlie terms of the treaty, ancl the Admirals representing the Great Powers have referred the matter to their respective Governments, and it is possible that the troubles of the Ottoman Empire have not yet seen their end. The Turkish commander of the disputed territory has warned the Montenegrins that if they cross the frontier, such proceeding will be deemed a causus belli, which means that it will be sufficient cause for him to make war on the invader-. Turkey is now able to put 150,000 men in the field. The forts on the Dardanelles are being mounted with guns, and the determination of the authorities at Stamboul is fixed and unalterable that they will fire on any fleet, whatever its nationality, which attempts to force its way through the Straits. Greece, Bulgaria and Albania are similarly arming themselves in preparation for what they consider the inevitable fray. The Bulgarian militia is to be raised to 120,000 men, and arms are being imported into Bulgaria from Russia. That the countries immmediately concerned in the execution of the JBerlin treaty, as settled at the recent conference, look upon war as unavoidable is admitted ; but it may be, when Turkey discovers the strength of her opponents, and fully realises her own position and comparative weakness, she will see the futility of resisting the performances of promises she has most solemnly made. The Great Powers are at one in their desire to have the clauses in the Treaty of Berlin executed to the letter, and past experience teaches us that when there is real union among the Groat Powers the Sublime Porte is not inclined to put itself in active opposition to them.

The heads of departments in Auckland have received circulars to report as to the ages, length of service, &c, of officials.

I. SPIRITOUS LIQUOE3. 1870. 1579 Gals. Gals. Spirits ... 514,442 626,301 Wiae ... 154,230 198,657 Ale and Beer ... 267,636 492,704 Colonial Beer ... 4,377,936 5,682,170 5,437,244 6,999,892 11. TEA, SUGAR, COFFEE, AND COCOA. 1870. 1879. Lbs. Lbs. Tea ... 1,914,200 4,808,100 Sugar . 18,147,600 41,722,000 Coffee and Cocoa ... 521,552 657,232 20,583,362 47,187,332 in. TOBACCO, CIGARS, AND SNUFF. 1870. 1879. Lbs. Lbs. Tobacco ... 697,872 1,054,730 Cigars and Snuff ... 40,732 71,025 738,604 1,125,755