DRINK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 290, 30 April 1913, Page 5

DRINK.

SKEW SOUTH WALES DRINK BILL. A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE. "JBy Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, April 29. the annual meeting of the New South Wales Alliance reference was made to flhe statement prepared by Archdeacon Boyce covering the State's drink bill for 1912 It shows that the total expenditure was £7,096,624, an increase of : £694,917, .compared with the previous year, making the increase for two years .£1,371,'640. The expenditure per head of population was £4 Ob (3d, an increase of 8» Bd, making the increase in the past two years lfls per head. While anticipating as increase, owing to the prosperous times, Archdeacon Boyce says he was unprepared for so notable an increase as 3the figures reveal, and for which he frankly admits he does not think prosperity sufficiently accounts. The increase is most marked in colonial leer, the consumption of which has advanced 4,507,757 gallons in two years. The convictions for drunkenness last year were 32,977, including 323-2 women. This is an increase of 5597 in two years without a corresponding increase of population. He considers the increase of intemperance, apart from the commercial prosperity, is attributable to three causes, the weakening of the moral fibre of the people generally and a consequent loss of self-restraint, neglect of the churches and other bodies to foster temperance societies, and the shortening of the hours of labor while the hotels have been allowed to remain open.