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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 74

III.—The Magnitude of the Evil we Assail. — Costs and Fatalities of War and Drink

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.