III.—The Magnitude of the Evil we Assail.
Costs and Fatalities of War and Drink.
German and French statisticians [unclear: estimat] that the combined cost of the ware of [unclear: the] thirty years preceding this decade was [unclear: i] money, £3,000,000,000, and in human [unclear: life] £2,500,000 men killed. In the same [unclear: thirt] years the United Kingdom [unclear: spe] £3,000,000,000 on liquor, with [unclear: fatali] from drink estimated at 3,600,000. [unclear: W] would be the frightful mortality [unclear: from] drink if the figures, like those for the [unclear: was] were made to include all nations [unclear: and] countries, though estimated on the [unclear: me] moderate scale! The evils of [unclear: Dria] Gladstone correctly said, are greater [unclear: tha] those of war, pestilence, and famine combined.
The following are the New
[unclear: Zeal] annual expenditure drink for the
[unclear: year] ending March, 1886, to March, 1896, Inclusive:—
Year ending 31st March |
Cost of Liquor consumed. |
Per head of European population. |
Estimated European population. |
1886 |
£2,289,514 |
£3 |
16 |
0 |
600,000 |
1887 |
2,154,855 |
3 |
11 |
9 |
|
1888 |
2,093,430 |
3 |
9 |
5 |
[unclear: 603,363] |
1889 |
2,035,162 |
3 |
8 |
8 |
[unclear: 607,380] |
1890 |
1,911,788 |
3 |
1 |
8 |
[unclear: 620,270] |
1891 |
2,111,498 |
3 |
7 |
6 |
[unclear: 625,580] |
1892 |
2,083,898 |
3 |
6 |
9 |
[unclear: 634,058] |
1893 |
2,169,166 |
3 |
6 |
8 |
[unclear: 650,433] |
1894 |
2,198,335 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
[unclear: 672,255] |
1895 |
2,099,552 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
[unclear: 686,125] |
1896 |
2,129,119 |
3 |
0 |
5 |
[unclear: 703,360] |
The total consumption during [unclear: the] years preceding 1888 reached [unclear: £46,214] or more by £12,000,000 than the amount colonial debt incurred during the [unclear: t] time. The figures are arrived at by [unclear: mo] of the oustoms and excise returns. [unclear: T] real annual expenditure for, and on [unclear: acc] of Drink, is enormously greater, as [unclear: we] appear if due allowance were [unclear: made] dilution, adulteration, short measure [unclear: t] distillation, excise frauds, and [unclear: e] manufacture from essences. On our [unclear: t] page we have put it at double, [unclear: whi] a moderate estimate—extremely so [unclear: if] indirect expenditure for crime, [unclear: panu] & c., from Drink were also included.
From printed balance sheats of
[unclear: wo] Men's Clubs we give the following statements of their receipts, which show
[unclear: t] the money goes :—
Wellington Club, for Half-Year to June 30, 1896.
Bar receipts, including tobacco |
£2,£511 |
[unclear: 16] |
Billiards |
193 |
[unclear: 6] |
Sale-of pellets and empties |
2 |
[unclear: 2] |
Subscriptions |
195 |
[unclear: 12] |
Petone Club, for Half-Year to February 19, 1896.
Bar taking |
£518 |
[unclear: 8] |
Billiards |
19 |
[unclear: 8] |
Subsriptions and enterance fees |
12 |
[unclear: 20] |
page 11
[unclear: Antheim Club], for the Year 1894.
|
£825 |
8 |
9 |
[unclear: ards] |
30 |
15 |
6 |
any subscriptions |
0 |
10 |
0 |
Ashburton Club, for Year ending March 31, 1896.
|
£1,627 |
13 |
6 |
[unclear: ards] |
121 |
10 |
6 |
[unclear: nce] newspapers, sale of [unclear: sste] paper |
34 |
8 |
10 |
[unclear: subcrptions] and entrance fees |
146 |
8 |
6 |
[unclear: Napier] Club, for Year ending September 30, 1895.
|
£3,665 |
14 |
1 |
[unclear: ards] |
275 |
1 |
6 |
[unclear: &c.] |
56 |
0 |
0 |
[unclear: ny] Subcriptions |
149 |
8 |
11 |
[unclear: It] must loot to our laurels, or we [unclear: not] keep a place in the van of social [unclear: an] example for good to the world. [unclear: th] Australian Legislature proposes [unclear: e] its people power to rid themselves [unclear: e] Liquor Traffic by a majority vote. [unclear: s] has just returned a parliament [unclear: e] to take a vote of the people on [unclear: l] for the whole dominion. [unclear: lon]. Wilfred Laurier, leader of the [unclear: l] party—the party returned to [unclear: e] recognised the great Temperanpe [unclear: and] stated that after he had sub-[unclear: d] the question to the people, which [unclear: re] but one result—his government [unclear: l] carry out the people's mandate for a [unclear: ery] liquor law. Which country [unclear: have] tho great historic honour of [unclear: rst] in ft movement which is spread-[unclear: ed] destined to world-wide success ?
[unclear: I] have been told that Prohibition in
[unclear: s] has been a failure. The people
[unclear: there] ought to know beat, and they
[unclear: think] so. In the year 1894 &
[unclear: ite] taken in some of the largest
[unclear: es] on this matter. Tho question
[unclear: s] "immediate prohibition by law of
[unclear: nufacture], importation, and wale of
[unclear: ting] liquors as a beverage," and the
[unclear: es] as follows :—
|
Votes for. |
Against. |
Majority for. |
[unclear: toba] |
18,637 |
7,115 |
12,522 |
[unclear: rie] |
192,489 |
110,720 |
81,769 |
[unclear: ce Ed-s's] |
10,616 |
3,390 |
7,226 |
[unclear: n] Scotia |
43,756 |
12,355 |
31,401 |
Totals |
266,498 |
133,580 |
132,918 |
[unclear: To] vote of nearly two to one is the most [unclear: e] answer to the assertion that the [unclear: es] "have gone back on Prohibi-[unclear: t]. This majority of over 132,000 for [unclear: tion] is placed in contrast with the [unclear: e] the Federal Government held [unclear: by] a majority of only 17,000. As [unclear: n] the attitude of the churches to the [unclear: n] the Canadian Methodist Church [unclear: st] conference adopted the following [unclear: ions];—"That the Liquor Traffic [unclear: be] legalised without sin." "That [unclear: e] duty of civil governments to pro-[unclear: e] trade intoxicating drinks; that [unclear: date] of no party who refuses to [unclear: e] commit himself to the destruction [unclear: e] Liquor Traffic, at the earliest [unclear: e] moment, should have the support [unclear: an] electors.