DOMINION DRINK BILL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1417, 29 June 1915, Page 3

DOMINION DRINK BILL.

The total tor the year 1913 was ,£4,137,653, so that the increase tor last year was ,£108,704.

The New Zealand Alliance, at its meeting on Saturday, received the Drink Bill for 1914, as calculated by Mr A. S. Adams, of Dunedin. It is based upon the Customs returns of liquor cleared for consumption, and beer manufactured in the Dominion. The basis of calculation adopted is the same as used in previous years, and, as pointed out in the statement for 1913, it is probable that the cost to the actual consumer is more than the figures show. There is an increase in the actual quantity of intoxicating liquor consumed, but the population has also increased, and the consumption per head of population shows a Iractional decrease of i.2d (one penny and one-filth of a penny). The particulars are as follows I [ i *

liquors cousumed per head of population work out as follows : i Spirits .77 gallons, wines .136 gallons, beer 9.26 gallons.

Spirits. £ 887,116 gallons at £2 per gallon ... 1 .774.232 (Increase 10,347 gal.) Winks, 150,51 1 gallons at £2 per gallon 313,022 (increase 9,455 gals.) Imported Beer. 292,850 gallons at 6s per gallon 87,855 (Decrease 0,360 gals.) Beer Brkwkd in New Zealand. 10,356,240 gallons at 4s per gallon ... 2 oc c* 0 (Increase 355.040 gals,) ,£4.246.356

Population. Kstiraaled mean population for 1914 1,090,329 Members of expeditionary forces who left Dominion during latter half of 1914, ii,993 Add three-fourths of of these 8,998 Maori census igu ... 49,844 1,149,171 Estimated increase for year 30,682 Cost of liquor per head 1914 ... £ 3 13 T °.S Cost of liquor per head IQI3 £3 H 0 Decrease 1.2d The quantities of different