THE PEOPLE'S TASTES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10670, 17 July 1912, Page 4

THE PEOPLE'S TASTES.

A return presented to Parliament a few days ago, giving the rate of consumption of articles in common .use, par head of population, indicates that .New Zeallanders were, in yome .respects, slightly imore .economical in 1911 than in the previous year. They drank a, trifle less whisky, wine, beer, coffee, and cocoa, and smoked a little ■kt-s tobacco. Apparently 'the consumption -cf cigars and .cigarettes increased, (for the duty .pail per head cf .tilie adult male population rose from .10s lid to lis H-d, due no doubt to the still growing popularity of the cigarette. The consumption of tobacco MI from 7.101b to 6.BG!ib per head. The oilier decreases were not of ,much (consequence. The consumption of 'spirits per liead by the adult anale population dropped from 2.37 to 2.36 (gallons, of .wine from (0.21 to 0.19 gallons, of imported best- from 0.38 to 0.37 gallons, and of iNew. Zealand ibeer from 13.1 to 13 gallon.?.'. *On the other hand, New Zealand drank .more tea than ever, the amount per liead of the .whde population, rising from to 7-JKb, which is the highest on. irecord. Also, we .got through 5-5,000 tons of sugar—about 115tb ,pe.r head, or (between seven and eight pounds more than in the previous year. And we either imported rniore general goods —clothing 'and so forth—or 'more expensive articles, ifor the duty per head on "ad valorem 'goeds" rof.'e from £1 3s 4d to £1 G& Id.