IS DRUNKENNESS ON THE INCREASE ?

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 186, 31 August 1871, Page 6

IS DRUNKENNESS ON THE INCREASE ?

( From a letter in the "Manchester Guardian,")

One of the arguments strongly relied on by most of the opponents of Mr. Bruce's Licen sing Bill is that intemperance is decreasing. We are comforted by the assurance that the spread of education, the progress of sanitary improvement, and greatly increased religious efforts, have tended to diminish drunkeness in our midst to a corresponding extent. We are told that for some years past we have been becoming a much, more sober nation, and hence that it would be far better to trust to the continued operation of these ameliorative agencies x-ather than seek to make them sober by act of Parliament. Mr. Gladstone, some two or three years ago, gave a decisive answer to this argument. He said :—": — " Even if drunkenness were decreasing, it still remains one of the greatest scandals, disgraces and misfortunes of the country, and I do not think that Parliament is bound to refrain from endeavors which might lead to its repression, simply because on the whole it is on the decline." But the question arises : Is the statement correct that drunkenness has of late years "diminished in our midst 1 In order to be better able to form a correct opiniou on this point, I have, through the courtesy of the chief constables of some of the largest towns in England, obtaiaed the following statistics: — Apprehensions for drunkenness during the last ten years. 18(31. 1870. Bradford 178 ... 591 Leeds 1,287 ... 1,940 Bristol SGO ... 1,042 Salford 550 ... 1,611 Birmingham ...1,186 ... 2,244 Manchester ...2,284 ...11,083 Liverpool 9,832 ... 21,363 Here, then, we have the startling revelation, that so far from the change corresponding to the enterprise, philan : thropy, and skill expended on the multitudinous efforts at national improvement, we are in a worse condition than vse previously were. Thai there has been no seise fcion of the worst places is apparent from the fact, that according to the latest judicial statistic*, drunken cases in all England increased ten per cent last year. Thv> evidence is strengthened by a glance at the annual consumption of intoxicating liquors during the two periods, 1860-4 and 1865-9 :— Annual average Consumption of Beer in the United Kingdom. 1860-4 -710,735,760 gallons per annum 18(35-9 -867,131,028 „ „ Average increase — 156,395,268 gallons. In an able article by Dr. Smiles, which appeared in the " Companion to the British Almanack for 1870," it is stated that during tfcs preceding fifteen years there had been an increased consumption of beer amounting to 200,000,000 of gallons. The figures anotecl above show th<\t the consumption has undergone an annual average increcise during the last five years of 156,000,000 gallons, or 22 per cent. Average amount Consumption of Wine during the two periods of five years each. 1860-4— 9.798,867 gallons per annum 1805-9—13,742,305 „ „ | Average annual increase — 3,943,431 gals. During the last five years the consumption of wine has increased 40 per cent, but during the last fifteen years the increa.e has been much greater. Mr. Shaw, who is an authority, in a letter to the " Medica 1 Times and Gazette," lately showed that from 1856 to 1859 the consumption of wine averaged one and 4-10 th bottles per head ; in 1870 it avei-aged three bottles per head. But this does not reveal the whole truth. The wines which are most consumed are of the strongest kind. During the year ending March 31, 1870, the customs returns show that the consumption of light and heavy wines v/as as follows : — Containing less than 26 degrees of proof spirit, 4,505,361 gallons ; containing 26 and less than 42 degrees of proof spirit, 10,015,062 gallons ; containing 42 or more degrees of proof spirit, 11037 gallons. One of the strongest arguments of Mr. Gladstone in 1880 in favour of promoting the sale of wine was that there would be proportionately less spirit drinking. No\t, with such a vast increase in the consump+ion of wine, we naturally look for a considerable declension in the consumption of spirits. Here are the figures :—: — British Foreign and Spirits. Colonial. Total, gallons gallons gallons 1860-4—20,022,059 5,556,232 25,579,291 1865-9 -22,279,072 7,888,100 30,167,172 Here it will be seen that, so far from the vast increase in the consumption of wine having caused a proportionate decrease in spirit drinking, there has been an increase to the extent of 4,588,881 '-gallons, or 17.94 per cent. If, then, for a considerable period, but moie especially during the lust five years, there has been a considerably increased consumption of intoxicating liquors, must there not have been increased intoxication ?