WHO DRINKS IT ALL?

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 197, 19 August 1880, Page 4

WHO DRINKS IT ALL?

This is the heading selected by the writer, a Mr. Gray, who is evidently one of those ready-reckocers who are always making troublesome calculations, for the following letter addressed to the Cbristchurch " Press" :— Sir, — According to a return recently laid before the House of Representatives, it appears that the number of barrels of beer made in the colony during the year eoding December 31st, 1879, wa5'186,096. The quantity contained in a barrel is 36 gallons, consequently the total number of gallons is 0,699,456 I Now in order to arrive at an approximation of the sum spent by the consumer, it will be necessary, in the first place, to find out the price at which the barrel of beer is sold to the publican. Taking the different qualities of the beer sold by the brewers, the average cost to the publican (previous to the imposition of the tax of 61 per gallon) was a fraction under ls6J per gallon. About equalquautilies of this are retailed at 6J and 3d per glass j the average retail price is therefore 4Jd per glass. Allowing two glasses to the pint (which I am informed is an ample allowance), the number contained in a gallon would be sixteen ; these sold at the average price of 4£i per glass, brings the publican in 63 per gallon — & very modest profit of 300 per cent.! And yet, by the way, the publicans have the conscience to expect the brewers to pay the new beer duty. Assuming then that the estimate of 4^l per glass is a correct one, what suuu does the 186,096 barrels cost the cousumers ? 6,699,456 gal-

lons, divided into Bi'xteen glasses each, and retailed at 4*d per glass, represeats a no less sum tban £2,009,836 I The immensity of this emount seems bo startling that there is a poeeibility of ils being regarded as ah exaggeration. And in order that, my estimate may bej rather within than outside the mark, I propose to reduce the quantity of beer' said to be retailed to one half (an exceedingly liberal concession), and charge the other half to (hose people who are in the habit of keeping a email barrel in the house. Beckoning one' half the quantity at the relail price be^ fore Btßted, the amount stands at £1,004,918, Add to this, at the whole-j sale price of Is 6J per gallon, tho other' half of the quantity said to be con-; sutned by the moderate drinking small-j barrel-men, and the sum of £251,229 is the result. The sum tofel is. therefore £1,256,147. Over a million aud a quarter pounds sterling Epenfc in New 1 Zealcnd in colonial beer in twelve^ months! Verily the Zealondian drink bill for 1879, including all the imported beer, wines and spirit?, cannot be one penny less then three millions of money! No wonder the colony groans beneath' a burden that is grievous to be borne. 1 when the amount spent (in intoxicating liquors is equal to about £6 13s 4d for every man, woman, and child within its borders. With 1 a view of showing what. : portion 1 of the drink bill might be debited to 1 this city) I have extended my calculations. I find that/ taking the population of Christchurch and the suburbs as being in round numbets 24,000. and allowing the average for the colony to prevail, viz., £6 13a 4i per head, the sum of £160,000 is the amount spent last year in strong drink in t is city. But deducting three-fifths of the 24,0( 0 as being children there remains 9600 adults. Allowing 10 per cent, of this number to be total abstainers, the total number of drinkers is reduced to 8640 Divide 8640 persons into. the £160,000 spent on drink, and the average is a fraction over £18 10s a-year, or 7a a-week each. This amount, compared with the expenditure of the United Kingdom, is far from creditable to this colony. The national drink bill in Great Britain lnsft year wus slightly in excess of £128,000,000. The population of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales is put down at 33,000,000. Subjecting the population to the same ratio of reduction as regards children and adult abstainers, the sum expended by each individual is about £10 158 5d per annum, or 4s l£d per week. This comparisou shows very clearly that, however drunken the people in the old country may be, tho inhabitants of New Zealand are a long way ahead of them us regards the amount spent in intoxicating liquors.