THE DEINK BILL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144358, 24 March 1914, Page 2

THE DEINK BILL.

TEMPERANCE NOT AIDED. BY NO-LICENSE MOVEMENT. BT TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. WELLINGTON, March 23. The Post to-night publishes a review of the drink bill for 1913. The writer says the prohibitionists are much concerned about it, although they do not presumably contribute one penny to the amount. The drink bill is £4,137,653 for 1913, an increase in the total of £56,491 over 1912, hut a decrease of llld per head of the population. It is pointed out that when there was less prohibition and more temperance preached the drink bill was fourteen shillings per head less than last year. In 1896 one area went dry. That year the drink bill was £2 19s 81d per head. In 1913, with twelve dry areas, the drink bill was £3 1-ls. Then in 1895 drunkenness was only 6.60 per 1000-of tho population, whereas now, with twelve areas dry, it is 11.88 per 1000. The spread of no-license and prohibition lias synchronised with an increase of drunkenness, because true temperance has been neglected. The progress of no-Hcense and the increase in tho drink bill is next contrasted in this way to show that no-lieenso and prohibition have in no way helped to promote temperance among the people:— Areas No-liceuse Year, “dry.” Votes. Drink Bill. 1896 1 98,312 £2,265,900 1908 6 221,471 £3,751,968 1911 12 234,656 £3,982,162 1913 12 234,656 . £4,137,652 When no-license and prohibition, aa temperance weeds, began to take root in XVew Zealand, the consumption of beer per head was 7.4 gallons; ' That was in 1896. In 1913 it was 9.2 gallons. The totals were:— 1895. 1913. Beer in galls 5,138,170 10,012,000 Whisky m galls. 435,481 876,769 The consumption of beer has nearly doubled and mat of whisky more than doubled since uo-lieense and prohibition began to liourish m this country. Tho Dost writer concludes;—“The contraction of the drink bill as between 1912 and 1913 of Tljd counts for nothing, and it is quite in keeping with the empiricism of uo-license advocates to seize upon it as 'satisfactory to note,’ to use the phrase of Air. A. S. Adams. The sociologist will discover that the alleged decrease is either due to some local disturbance or to a slight curtailment of the spending power of the people. Prohibition and no-license are valueless as temperance reforms.”