LIQUOR AND TOBCACCO.

Te Aroha News, Volume XII, Issue 1758, 10 August 1895, Page 2

LIQUOR AND TOBCACCO.

According to a return just laid before Parliament showing the consumption of articles in common use per head of the population, spirits show a falling off from 4*73 gallons in 1878 to 2’24 gallons in 1894, The latter is the lowest on record, with the exception of 1889, when the consumption was 2-09. In 1893 the consumpton was 2'40. The amount of wine consumed in 1894 is absolutely the loVest ever recorded, being 0-22 gallons as against 0’26 for 1893, and O’7o for 1878, "Under the heading of ale and beer the consumption per head last year was o’4B gallons (again the lowest on record), In 1893 the figures were o’B3, and in 1878, the earliest year .included in the table, 1 *75. Tobacco also shows a gradual falling away from 7*65 lbs in 1878, to 6’44 lbs last year, For 1893 the consumption was 6*69. There is a slight falling off under the head of tea from 5-57 lbs in 1893 to 5*27 lbs in 1894. In 1881 no less than 14’6 gallans of New Zealand brewed beer were consumed, as against 10’ 9 gallons last year. These latter figures are the lowest with the exception of 1888, when the consumption was 10-5 gallons. The total revenue from Customs* in 1878 was £1,344,944, equal to £2 18s 6dper head, and in 1895dhe revenue was £1,576,250, equal to £2 3s 8-Jd per headT This give a decrease equal to 23’27 per cent.