THE COLONIAL DRINK BILL.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 110, 11 July 1885, Page 7

THE COLONIAL DRINK BILL.

(By C. M. Gray, Ghristchuroh.) The publication in the New Zealand Gazette of the Ctistorri9 returns for the last quarter of the financial yea? ending March 31, 1885, enables me to place before your readers a statement df the amount expended in this colony on intoxicating liquors during the financial [ year just concluded. The inform itiou contained iv the Gazt'tto, to which 1 am indebted for the compilation of the " Colonial Drink Bill," consists of the amount of Customs revenue derived from the clearance of all dutiable goods intended for consumjitionj and also the nmovint received during the year on account of the Beer Tax. The following table gives pmlieulßrs of the different kinds of alcoholic liquors cleared for consumption, together with the amount ot money expended thereon. I have also appended, tor purpose of compari son, the totals for IoSO, yi 82, ami :8S t —

Average 6,462,208 £2,444,441 Taking the population of the colony at the end of 1884, to be 564,304, tho average per head will amount to aoout 0J gallons, or equal to nearly £4 5s for every man, woman, and child in New Zealand. Viewed as a whole, the drink bill shows a fall ng off that cannot fail to cheer the hearts of al! temperance re(orraers. Spirits e*hibj£ a decrease of 37,655ga15.j winds", ft. decrease of 4876 gals.; and colonial beer 101,178 gals ) vrhilst English ale shows an increase of 6401 gals, The total decrease in gallons is 143,709, as against a decrease •luring the year previous of 426,452 i^als., the total for the two years being (569,161ga15. Allowing for the slight increase in English ale, the net decrease is 662,760ga1« The monetary saving unounfcs to £i 03,578, to which has to be added the saving of the year before, #160,338, making altogether a decrease ,n the expenditure on drink during tho, paat two years of £263,910, or about wpal to 10s per head all round. Having, during the past six years, explained the method whereby I am enabled to approximate the cost to th< . colony of tue, liquor consumed, it is

Irirdly necessary Mmt-L should' bo con--tinually going .over the *»iuo> ground. Sutfke it to say that the process I have adopted has never, as yet, been successfully challenged, and consequently, for all practical, purposes, is as reliable as any dfcher that may -be suggested. * * With regard to the causes that have led, to the decrease in the amount spent on drink in the colony, opinions seem to differ. Some people assert that the depression in trade ia the cause ; whilst others are o.' opinion t-hi\l tlio spnjivl of tcinpuwnce principles has a great deal to do in the matter. Possibly 'the truth will be found to He between the two extremes — =-fcliat the two causes combined are responsible for the falling off. WhMi people lack the purchasing power, the consumption tonst of necessity become less. With too many peoplo it is simply an illustration of the couplet 1 from Hud i bras i " When the devil gofc sick, the devil a sainfc would be ; Whon tha devil got well> the devil a Baint was ho." Let us hope, however, that such cases arc <i<i -Korption to the mle. Lot us omli<itMH'y believe that tempeiance •ii'uths i\v' Winning their widening w.iy. •uid tli.\t teinpornnco principle, as qj:pimndetl and inculcated l>y Mr U, T Booth, Mrs L^avitfc, ami others, are hearin;,' fi nit in a diminished drink bill. •So 111113* it b<> — Mef.hoJist.

1 S4. Guilons. Spirits.. .. 538,194 Winea.. .. 154,127 English Ale „ 391,689 Colonial Beer., 4,157,142 at 40a 40s 6a 4a £1 076,988 i 308,254 i 117,506 891,418 Total . . 5,541,452 £2,394,170 1833 .. .. 5,678,360 1882 .. .. 6,204,312 1881 .. .. g.800,857 18J8O .. .. 4,085,563 2,497,754 2,658,092 2,533,677 2,138,507 Total for 5 years 27,311,044 £12,222,206