THE NEW ZEALAND DRINK BILL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 493, 12 October 1909, Page 4

THE NEW ZEALAND DRINK BILL.

NO-LICENSE AREAS SHOW REDUCED CONSUMPTION.

It having been alleged that NoLicense has not reduced the amount of drink consumed iu the No-License areas, the Rev. J. Dawson has made up complete comparisons of the duty paid on alcoholic liquors alfevery customhouse in New Zealand for three years 1904-5-6— -compared with the three years 1907-8-9. These, when analysed, are stated by the New Zealand Alliance to produce the following results : “The increase of duty paid on liquors per head in Oamaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill combined, which cover the four NoLicense areas of Clutha, Mataura, Oamaru, and Invercargill, was only teupence per head, or equal in total money value to £7342, The increase in duty in the rest of the Dominion was, however, 7s 5d per head, so that if Otago has increased at the same ratio it would have increased in duty paid £65,278, instead of £734 2 * As there is no reason for supposing any decrease of drinking in the Otago License areas, the whole of this difference must be credited to the four No-License areas referred to.

“ The decrease in duty paid when reckoned against the rate of the fully Licensed part of the Dominion is £57936. # Taking the year 1907 as a basis, every 16s paid in duty equalled £3 15s rod in money spent. Thus, we find that the saving of .£57,936 of duty means a saving of no less than .£275,196 in money spent for alcoholic liquors. The whole of this saving must be credited to the 46,000 people living in No-License areas in Otago during the three years 1907-8-9. This is equal to a reduction of their drink bill by about £2 a head, making it £1 15s tod per head instead of £3 15 s lod P er head, as was the average for the Dominion iu 1907. “ While this is, not an ideal state of things, the temperance workers claim it as a long stride in advance, and say that it shows plainly why the brewers and spirit merchants oppose No-License.” “ The above calculations have been thoroughly checked, and are strictly accurate,” are the concluding words of the Alliance statement.