THE PEOPLE'S EXPENDITURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1916, Page 6

THE PEOPLE'S EXPENDITURE.

■■ ■ -a» WAR AND ECONOMY. , (From our Special Correspondent). Wellington, May 20. The annual Parliamentary return showing the consumption within the Dominion of articles of common use is of particular interest this year on account of the light it throw's on a niim'ber of domestic problems arising out of the war. The figures for 11)14 covered only five months of the war period, but the figures for 1015 cover a fuil year and suggest that there has been no slackening of expenditure upon the articles included in the list which may be fairly classed as luxuries. The consumption of spirits,, for instance, which in 1914 had reached 2.33 gallons iper head of the adult population, the largest on record up to that time, ran up to 2.75 gallons last year. The consumption of beer has remained practically stationary during the last three years, the trifling increase in the use of the New Zealand brewed article just about balancing the decline in imported beer. The total in 1013 was 13.30 gallons per head of the population over fifteen years of age, in 1014 13.42 gallons and in 1013 13.41 gallons. Nor has drinking success to the Allies or celebrating their victories materially affected the demand for wine. In 1913 the consumption' of this beverage was 0.10 gallon per head of the population over fifteen years of ago; in 1914, 0.20 gallon, and in 1015 0.21 gallon. The Government Statistician assumes that only the adult males in the population drink spirits, and that ( .the whole of the population over fifteen years of age drink beer and wine, an assumption that prnbnlhly give.,; a larger consumption per head than actually takes 'place in the case of spirits, and a smaller in the case of beer and wine. TOBACCO A\ T D TEMPERANCE DRINKS. The consumption of tobacco has undergone no very startling change since the commencement of the war. There was actually a decrease, of some TOOOlbs in the quantity smoked in 1015 compared with the quantity smoked in 1014, but this, no doubt, was due to the number of adult males in the country having fallen by nearly SOOO during the. year, owing to the despatch of reinforcements to the front, and the quantity per head increased from o.o7l'bs to 7.1 libs. Cigars and cigarettes, whicli certainly were smoked by others than male adults to whom they are credited, showed a large increase, "the duty on these articles amounting to .C 220.547 in 1013, to £247.-142 in 1014. and to £255,525 in 1015. Tea drinking, as indicated by the imports, largely increased during 1014, the consumption per head of the population over fifteen years of age advancing from 6,231bs to .'i.72iibs. but last year, owing probablv to conditions apart from the war, it fell to 7.0011)8. The use of coffee and cocoa, on the other hand, calculated on the total population, fell from 0.531b per head in 1013 to 0.401b in 1014, the lowest figure for fome years, and rose to 0.071b last year, the highest since 1800. The consumption of sugar, which, calculated on the same basis, stood at 122.51bs per head in 1013. declined to ; 05.11b in 1014, but rose to 124.S in 1315, 1 an increase of no less than 201bs on ; the figure of ten years 'before. The duty ' paid on ad valorem goods last year, • which is perhaps more significant of the ' economies practised by the mass of the people than are anv of the other figures, ' amounted to £1,315,011. a decline of " .£244,030 on the amount paid in 1013 ' and of £211,102 on the amount paid in j 1014. , Taking it'as a whole and accepting it for what it is worth, the Parliamentary ! return confirms the popular opinion that j the community is living during the war much as it lived before, and has not yet l set itself seriously to the task of cutting , down its expenditure upon either the luxuries or the necessaries of life.