More Cakes, Less Ale.

Manawatu Herald, 6 October 1892, Page 2

More Cakes, Less Ale.

A table showing the rate of consumption of articles in common use has been laid before Parliament from which some encouraging facts in connection with the temperance movement can be gained. The amount raised from duty at per head of the population is given for a series of years. For the sake of comparison we will take the year 1880. The amount raised from spirits was 51/8 per head, from wine 2/5, from ale 1/11, from colonial ale 1/llf , making a total of 58/ from these sources. In 1891 these same items only gave 42/6, thus showing a decrease in consumption of 15/6 per head for duty only. The immense saving really made by the people can be estimated when we mention that the duty on spirits ranged from 6/ to 14/, for wine from 4/ to 6/, for ale 1/ to 1/6 and colonial ale /3 per gallon in 1880, whereas in 1891 the duty was very much higher, being for spirits from 15/ to 16/, wine 5/ to 9/, ale all at 1/6, colonial ale /8 per gallon. If the same consumption of spirits and ale had been similar in proportion, in 1891 as it was in 1880 the increase in the duty would have made the average stand out startling high. Thus the 15/6 saved is a great feather in the cap of our temperance friends. Again in 1880 when the : population spent in duty 58/ per head for spirits and ale, they could only afford 5/l£ duty for tea, coffee, and gugar, but relieved of the. burden I of drink we find them spending 6/6 f for duty on the same arfcioles in 1891, and the duty has been the same all through except in the item of tea which has risen twopence a pound. Oddly enough tobacco has been the same both in 1880 and 1891 standing at 28/7 per head, but better times permitted a slight increase of 1/11 per head for cigars. Taking the whole items for the two years mentioned the population have withstood spending on dutiable goods the sum of over 12s per head, and, as>we have shown, they saved 15/6 from their liquor bill, and indulged in other articles for the difference, 8/6. We have thus a sum of £375,994 saved by abstention, in duty, besides the amount saved in the cost of the articles themselves, to go towards making provision for other and better expenditure. These are plain facts taken from a plain document and show what is possible to be done. Other documents will show that in response to the better condition prevailing, the average marriage rate has risen and the death rate has fallen, and she people being happier and more contented has had the effect of increasing the number of letters written, considerably. In every way these facts are viewed it is without doubt to the credit of the colonists and we trust succeeding years may mark similar decrease in the objectionable items.

Messrs Hennessy, Westwoort & Co have an altered advertisement in this issue. Many advertisements of local interest will be found on our fourth page. Mr Abraham's stock sale at Palmcrtton is advertised to-day.

We understarid .that. Hx (Beethill, who has purchased the Fapafciri mill makes a start this week. Who is the Inspector of Nuisances ? is a question often put to us, but which we cannot satisfactorily answer. The Borough Council appointed Mr Gibson to be the Inspector a month acroi but for some unexplained reason he has not been gaKetted< The cTnldion, whose aild how' many we cannot say, but a,t any rate a large number, irl'-luding the little ones v/lid took, part jn the school entertainment, especially tile fairies, have been invited to a plain and fancy ball at the Public Hall to-morrow night. It should be a very pretty sight. We understand one of our flaxmillers called, a private meeting of his creditors the titller day aiid bflerefl $ever>. shillings in the pound, five shillings down and two shillings later on. It is probable the offer will be accepted. A Mr Portier. who carries on business as a dressmaker in London, under the name of Madame Portier; sued some lady for a balance owing oil ail ac'c'ourit of £54. Mr Commissioner Kerr said, " I see this id a man carrying on business as a woman, That is a peculiar state of matters. I am, however* surprised at nothing in the present day." We wonder what sort of dresses Mrs Commissioner Kerr wears. Her husband was pleased to remark, in a dress case that he heard, tha- "there are some men of sense in this world— very few— who don't care a farthing what their wives wear." He does not live in this colony, i We are requested to state that there will be no mass next Sunday. The further hearing of the charge preferred againdt William Henry Finley and Ernest Seel, as causing the death of Charles Greenrose on Waterloo quay on Sunday, the 18th ult., was resumed on Wednesday morning, when the evidence of McDonald was taken at the hospital, before Mr C. C. Graham, R.M. This concluded the evidence for the Crown. His Worship said he had made up his mind to commit both of the accused. Seel, on being cautionpd, said, 'I am not guilty even in thought or act of anything that is charged against me. 1 Finley said, ' I reply the same.' Counsel for both reserved their defence, and the accused were then com. mitted for trial on the charge of murder to the next sittings of the Supreme Court. Mr Shelson held an enquiry into the late fire at Sandon, on Monday, and after taking the evidence of Messrs Cox.Pawson, J. Harris and J. Harris, the owner of the land, and J. Gray the tenant, all of whose evidence tended to throw but little light upon the question, the jury fountl " That no evidence of the origin of the said lire doth appear to the jury." The Bank of Australasia has opened a " receiving house " at Levin, whioh will be opened every Thursday only. Mr Jenks has secured the contract for painting and papering Mr J. A, Smith's new house. The Hawke's Bay Spring meeting brought out two horses lately owned and bred by MrS. M Baker. In the first handioap hurdle race of 100 soys, Mr Elliiigham'a b.g. Tiritea, by Hippocampus — Wairuareka came in first, and the same owner's b.g. Bangiatea by Somnus — Wairuareka, won the Maiden Plate of 50 soys. Wairuareka is still the property of Messrs Baker & Co. and her stock should command good prices. The chestnut mare Kathleen by Daniel O'Borke out of Mr J Bobinson's mare Milksop won the final handicap at Hawke's Bay meeting on Tuesday, and paid the lucky investors a dividend of £20 14s. More " boots at your own prices " at Thacker & Pallants, and Mr Jackson pub* lishes a list of prices showing such to be the fact. Mr Andrews secured the paddocking contract for the Messrs Dudson's mill. At a meeting of the School Committee this morning Mr E. Osborne was unanimously elected a member in the room of the late C. Honore. Mr Stewart was authorised to retain one half of the net proceeds of the oonoert to procure further amusements for the playground. Mr George Fisher has announced his intention to be a candidate for the office of Mayor of Wellington. The N.Z. Times states that the Premier still continues to progress in a satisfactory manner towards recovery. The Board of Reviewers aat yesterday, at Waipawa, Hawke's Bay, to hear the Woburn case. The attorneys for Mr Russell had agreed to a valuation of £4 17s 6d per acre, and then under Section 30 appealed. The commissioner sought to further increase the valuation by 10s an acre After hearing evidence on both Bides, the board sustained the previous valuation of £4 17s 6dper acre. Messrs Gorton & Son hold a stock sale at Bulls next Tuesday. Five thousand pilgrims died at Meshed during the height of the epidemic of cholera. A boating fata'ity occurred at Whangarei on Sunday, resulting in the drowning of tight men. The party went out yachting in. Tucker's yacht, lately brought from ; uckland. John Pearson, the survivor, says : — ' The squall struck the boat, and we were thrown into tha water.' It appears to have happened suddenly, as that is the only recollection Pearson has of the occurranee. He saw Eamsey holding on to the hatch, and Courtney swimming. Ramsey told Pearson to catch hold of another hatch floating near him, but Pearson pre ferred to trust to himself. The accident was observed by R. Scott and H. Goring, who were out sailing. They immediately sailed for the place where the Minerva sank. After about an hour they reached the spot, and rescued Pearson who was Etill swimming, but almost exhausted. Nothing .else was to be seen. The cholera is disappearing from Europe. Reads rather rough on the Welshman. The origan of the Redskin is claimed for three raoes, the Jews the Chinese, and the Welsh, There are certain thing?, says Science Sifting which tend to snow that ' merican Indians are of Jewish origin. Indians wrap their blankets about them in exactly the same manner as the ancient Hebrews, and the blankets bear some resemblanoe to the Koman toga It is a. fact that recently in Wyoming, the petrified remains of an ancient Chinese war vessel were discovered ; and an equally strange fact is that the Manadad (Dikota) Indians use a Welsh dialect \t the present day a Welshman can understand them. For'y thousand persons have died in China of cholera. Messrs Ross and Sandford, of the Bon Marche, beg to intimate the arrival of their first shipment of spring and summer goods ex cargo steamer Buahine, comprising the largest delivery ever received by them at one time. '; hey are now making their first show for the season in all departments ful or particulars of which will appear at a future date. Ross and Sandford, The Bon Marohe.