GOOD DRINKING.

Evening Star, Issue 3388, 30 December 1873, Page 2

GOOD DRINKING.

To the Editor. Sir,— By the report in Saturday’s issue I see that the privilege of selling grog, &c., at the forthcoming Caledonian gathering, sold for the very large sum of L 204. This means something in the way of drinking. Let us allow the parties who have taken these booths the very handsome gross profit of 200 per cent. Say the nobbier or the glass of beer which is sold for fid costs 2d, and it will be found that before the L 204 paid in rent can be got back it will be necessary to sell 12,240 nobblers, that is 34, or nearly 34, in each booth every minute during six hours. This will pay rent only; besides this there will be labor, license, and other contingent expenses to cover, and a profit on the whole to be realised. The license is Ll, and labor for the two days cannot be set down at less than L 3 for each booth, with other contingencies, making, let us say, another LIOO, with LIOO more as nett profit on the two days’ work. This L2OO represents another 12,000 nobblers. I may, however, be reminded that men must eat as well as drink, and that refreshments other than drink will be sold in the booths. This is no doubt true. Let us then knock off the half of the second estimate, as representing things eaten, and the result is that at a gross profit of 200 per cent. 18,240 drinks must be swallowed on Thursday and Friday to make the booths pay. If the profit be put down at 100 per cent, (and the doubling of one’s money in a single turn over seems a very good thing), then the L 304 to bo realised out of drink gives the enormous quantity of 24,480 drinks at fid each, to be swallowed at the Caledonian gathering in two days. Suppose the consumption to start at noon and continue till six o’clock each day, and we have the crowd which will be gathered there swallowing 34 drinks every minute during the whole 12 hours.—l am, &c., Observer. Dunedin, December 28.