THE DRINK BILL.

Timaru Herald, Volume CIV, Issue 15980, 5 June 1916, Page 9

THE DRINK BILL.

FIGUBES FOR 1915. Tho drink bill for New Zealand for a j y ° ar J as P re E ai 'ed by Mr A. S. Adams, Dunedin, for the New Zealand Alliance, based upon the Customs returns, and official statistics of population, is given below. The value is ascertained on the basis adopted in the Dominion for many years past, which has been followed for convenienco of comparison with previous years. The tota. lor tho year shows an increase over 1914 of £161,52S 16s. The expenditure per heard of population has mcieased by 2s Sid. Tho particulars are as follows: . . £ s. d. ••spirits: 940,611 gallons at 40s (increase 53,495 gallons) ... 1,881.222 0 0 , Wines, imported: 163,903 J gallons at 40b (in- ' crease 7,302 gals.) ... 327,806 0' 0 : Beer, imported: 260,050 gallons at 6s (dc- ! crease 32,800 gals.) 78,015 0 0 , Beer, brewed in New Zealand: 10,605,714 | gals, at 4s (increase j 2-19,474 gals.) ...2,121,142 16 0 Total for the roar £4,408,185 16 0 19H ... 4,246,357 0 0 Increase ... £161,828 16 0 Estimated mean population for 1915, ext eluding Maoris ... 1,099,410 ; Maoris —Census 1911 ... 49,844 Total ... ... 1,149,254 Estimated expenditure per head, 1914 ... £3 14 0 Estimated expenditure per head, 191-5 ... 316 8} Increased expenditure per head, 1915 ... 0 2 8A

Consumption per liead oi' population. Spirits, O-S-l gals.; imported wines, 0.14 gals. ; beer, importer], 0.23 gals.: ; beer in New Zealand, 9.22 gals. , The expenditure for the year would pay the whole interest charge on the National debt of £96,644,455, and leave 1 a balance. It exceeds the tojfcal expenditure oil all tlio railways by £1,487,730. It exceeds the Customs revenue bv £1,207,305. J The total revenue derived from liquor by the Trcasurv was £873,431. The amount spent in liquor exceeded the revenue from liquor by £3,534.754. ] The expenditure equals 32.5 percent, of the total consolidated revenue of the Dominion for the year. It exceeds the cost of running the railways, and Post and Telegraph services bv £2Bl 55 7-1