DRINK BILL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1758, 24 May 1913, Page 6

DRINK BILL.

N.Z- ALLIANCE STATEMENT,

TOTAL £4,081,162.

INCREASE OF 2s. sd. PER HEAD. ■ A statement has been prepared by Mr. A. S. Adams, of Dunedin, for the New Zealand Alliance, of the amount of money spent by the peoplo of the Dominion on intoxicating liquor during th'e year 1912. Tho amount snoivs a total incroaso of •5221,7 ill, and a per capita increase of 2s. sd. per head.

The following statement 6howa tho "drink bill" for the Dominion for the year 1912, based upon the Customs returns of liquor cleared lor home consumption and beer manufactured in the Dominion (says Mr. Adams). The basis of valuation adopted by tho Eev. E. Walker, who for many years up to 1910 prepared and published a similar annual statement, nas been retained, although, as stated by him in his report for 1910, tho cost to the actual consumer is probably more. The period covered is from January 1 to December 31

X £ 8. d. Spirits, 863,798 gallons, at per gallon (increase VI.oOU gallons) 1,727,592 Wines, 153,616 gallons, at £2 per gallon (increase 19,4(j4 gallons) ; 307,233 Imported beer,' 296,380 gallons, at 6s. per gallon (increase 22,730 gallons) 88,914 Boor brewed in New Zealand, 9,787,120 gallons, at is. per gallon (increase 260,180 gallons) 1,957,424 Total 4,081,162 Total for year, 1911 3,859,371 Increaso 221,791 Estimated mean population for 1912-1,039,016 Maoris- 49,814 Total- 1,088,860 Estimated increase 25,012 Cost of liquor per ■ head for 1912 ' - 6 14 11} Cost of liquor per head for 1911 - 3 12 65 Increase — 0 2 5 The quantities of different liquors consumed per head of population work out as under:— Spirits 79 gallons Wines 141 gallons Beer 9,.26 gallons

An increase of 2s. 5(1. per head is shown over 1911. 'In New South. Wales the increase for fcho same period was 3s. Bd. It is right to 6ay also, Mr. Adams adds, that if tho basis of computation adopted in New South Wales were applied in our case, the consumption per lead would appear as £3 Is. 5d., instead of .£3 14s. llld"The figures ought surely to give all thoughtful persons serious cause for reflection. The gross total of IG2 spent on drink in one year in this littlo country speaks eloquently of the urgent need of reform. This sum would pay tho whole of the passenger fares and freight for goods carried on all the railways in the Dominion, and in addition pay interest on tho total cost of tho whole railway system, and then leave a balance to credit. It would pay tho whole cost of education three times over, and leave a balance sufficient to recoup to the Treasury tlio whole liquor revenue. If the money were distributed among the persons employed in our reproductive industries, it would increaso their wages over 30 per cent. Taking the average "household as being of five persons, the average expenditure on drink per household (including children of all ages) works out at .£lB 14s. 9id. Now, it is, of course, beyond question that in many homes all the inmates are practically abstainers, and the same remark applies to the inmates of asylums, hospitals, gaols, and other public institutions. It follows, therefore, that tho charge for drink upon the income of homes where the inmates use (or abuse) it, must attain a much higher average.