The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY, JULY 13. 1910. BEER AND TOBACCO.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 July 1910, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY, JULY 13. 1910. BEER AND TOBACCO.

Kkom the Begistrar-General's Oflice we are in receipt of advance sheets of the Xew Zealand Official Year Book. These deal with the commerce of the country—under the headings of "tcital trade," "imports" and "exports." From these we learn, iinter ,a'lia, that the annual consumption of sugar per head of the population is greater in Queensland than in any other Australasian country. The proportions, in pounds, are as follow:— Queensland 12-3.0, Xew South Wales 109.2, Xew Zealand 107.0, Weest Australia 107.6, [ South Australia 101.8, Victoria 100.7, Tasmania 100.-I. New Zealand filled third place to West Australia and South Australian in regard to tea, drinking. The figures were: West Australia 9.(jibs per head per year, South Australia 8.2, New Zealand 7.3, Xew South Wales 7.2, Queensland 7.0, Victoria 6.9, Tasmania 6.2. In regard to consumption of lintoxiiiating liquors, Xew Zealand comes very low down in the Australasian scale, as will be seen from the subjoined comparative table:—

I fleer Spirits Wino (in gallows.) Queensland ... 10.4 1.10 0.28 N.S. Wales ... 9.8 0.83 O.GB Victoria ... 13.4 0.70 1.29 S. Australia ... 8.4 0.46 5.43 W. Australia ...24.50 1.47 1.00 Tasmania ... 9.22 0.54 0.17 Xow Zealand ... 9.30 0.75 0.15 After studying .the figures quoted above, it is hard to realise just what is meant by the West Australian droughts of .which so ma.ny authors have written. The State that can consume close upon 100 quarts of beer per man woman and child in one year, phis six quarts of spirituous liquor per year per man woman and child, topped off by four quarts of wine per. year per man woman ami child, must be in a state of perpetual moistuess sufficient to bid defiance to the most pronounced conditions of droughit. In the year 1909 tilio value of the various kinds of potable spirits imported into New Zealand amounted to £279,139, of imported beer to £46,544, and wines to £70,493; making altogether £396,176. If to the above , totial be added £688,794, the estimated value of the beer manufactured, and £9,000, the estimated value of wine made, the cost for the introduction and manufacture of alcoholic beverages comes to £1,093,970 for tho year 1909, against which may be set £7,136, representing the value of <

the small export for the same oerdocl. Moderation in the use of tobacco is .mother of Now Zealand's virtues. She fills tenth place in a lirtti of twenty-two countries. For centuries past Holland has been pre-oimin-<•'!'t as the land of smoke. T-n tho latest statistics she loads -a/1 other lauds by about per head of the population. The total figures, which are astonishing an some aspects, are as follow:— Lb. ; Holland G. 92 United States ... 4.40 Turkey 4.37 West Australia ... 4.3G Austria-Hungary ... 3.77 Denmark 3.70 Switzerland 3.24 Belgium 3.15 Gornwiny 3.00 New Zealand 2.75 New South Wales ... .09 Queensland 2.05 Tasmaiwia 2.30 South Australia ... 2.14 Canada 2.11 Franco 2.05 Victoria 2.02 Swollen ... ... 1.87 Spain 1.70 United Kingdom ... 1.41 Italy 1.34 Pussia 1.23 The tobacco entered for con.sumption iu 1909 was 2,744,8051b nind the consumption per head of population, including Maoris 2.7511j.