Page 4 Advertisements Column 4

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 211, 8 September 1869, Page 4

Public ITotices. • :op NATIONAL WEALTH. WASTE of the NATIONS WEALTH every Year by INTOXICATING DRINKS. I. Money annually spent in Intoxicating Liquors. Ardent spirits (29,413,153 ga1.)... £ 30,253,605 Malt-liquors (24,903,696 barrels) 59,768,870 Foreign wines(is,lsl,T6lgal. in 1868) 11,363,805 British wines, cider, perry, Sec. (say) 1,500,000 . £102,886,280 11. Loss of Wealth annually incurred in the Production and Retailing of Intoxicating Liquors. The laud now devoted to the growth of barley nnd hops used in making intoxicating driuks, would produce food of tho value of not less than 13,000,000 In the. manufacture of strong drink there is a loss of capital and labor worth at least ... ... ... 15,000,000 The labor of the retailers of intoxicating driuks and of their servants, numbering 500,000 or upwards, would be worth, at the low estimate of £50 each per .mnum ... 25,000,000 £53,000,000 111. Expenses and Burdens annually arising from the Use of Intoxicating Liquors. Loss of labor and time to employers and workmen by drinking (estimated by the parliamentary committee of 1834, at) ... ... 50,000,000 Destruction of property on sea and land, and loss of property by theft and other crime, the result of drinking habits (say) ... ...10,000,000 Public and private charges by pauperism, destitution, sickness, insanity, and premature death, traceable to the use of strong drink (at least) ... 10,000,000 Cost of police, prosefutions, courts of justice, support of criminals, losses to jurors and witnesses, taking the proportion of criminal cases due to drinking (at least) ... ... 3,000,000 £73,000,000 Great and ignoble total of the yearly loss of wealth to the British Nation by intoxicating drinks £228,886,280 What could be DONE with the Wealth annually WASTED on INTOXICATING DRINKS by the British Nation. Wealth annually wasted . . . ' £228,886,280 Deduct as not available for general purposes ... ... 50,000,000 Available from annual loss ...£178,886,280 If applied to the liquidation of the National Debt (which was £797,031,660 on March 31, 1868) it would effect this great undertaking in a little over 4 years, and thus save the country for ever the payment of the interest on the debt, which amounted in the year ending March 31, 1868, to £26,571,750. Or, it would form a fund to buy up all the railways in the United Kingdom in less than 3 years; the nett receipts on which were £19,352,681 in 1866, which could be devoted to the public service. Or, it would pay in One Year all the expenses of a complete drainage system and a water supply for every large town in tbe kingdom; and by so doing lower the rate of mortality and raise the standard, of heath and comfort over the whole country for ever. Or, if this enormous sum were annually collected and appropriated, it would suffice to do as follows: — It would compensate the Exchequer for lo.s of revenue from liquors ...£23,000,000 Tt would pay tbe national debtinterest 26,57 1,750 It would allow all taxes on tea, coffee, sugar, and chocolate to be remitted 9,000,600 It would assign to public works of utility, such as draitiage, harbors, etc. 50,000.000 It would appropriate for the purposes of a complete system of free public education, libraries, art schools, etc. 25,000,000 It would allow for public parks, baths, and other means of health, etc. ... 5,000,000 It would permit as grants for the relief of destitution and sickness, etc. ... 10,000,000 It would assign for ihe gradual rebuilding and improving towns and T?illagess,etc. ... ... 25,000,000 £173,571,750 Unappropriated ... ... 5,314,530 £178,886,280 Note. All this expenditure might be annual, and, as much of it would be reproductive, the annual surplus could go to form a great national reserve fund available for purposes of .social advancement and defence. mHE THAMES GOLDFIELD MINER'S^ GUIDE With Maps. „ P:rice 2s. 6d, ■ Published by EivwA-Bi> Watte, Auckland. .< ~rT LUCAS & SON'S. WATER COLOURS ! J WATER COLOURS ! ! . R. LUCAS & SON.