The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-15 00:00:00

DRINK IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

The Times of Tuesday published the following letter :
Sir,—The Excise Returns are to hand this morning,
whereby we are enabled to calculate the consumption
of intoxicating liquors for the year 1878.
The following table gives particulars of the various
kinds of intoxicating liquors consumed, together with
the money expended thereon. It also gives the con-
sumption for 1877: ---

Gallons. 1878. 1877.
British spirits (a) 29,358,715, at 205.==£29,358,715 £29833,178
Foreign spirits(b) 10,438637. at 245..-_—_ 12,636,364 12,742,277
Wine (c) 18,272,295. at 18s 14,845,065 15,904,146

Cwt. Bushels of Malt.
Beer—sugar used (d), 1,128,226 4,813,760
Do.—malt used (e) 57,259,393

62,073,153
Gallons.
Equal to 1,117,316,754, at is. 6d. £83,798,756 81,722,63
British wines, cider,
ezo. (estimated) 17,500,000, at 2s. 1,750,000 1,750,000
Total

£142,188,900 £142,007,231

From these returns it will be seen that in 1878, with
all the terrible depression which prevailed in the
trade, the money spent upon intoxicating liquors was
£181,670 more than in 1877.
It will also be noted that while wine and spirits—
supposed to be drunk mainly by the upper and middle
classes—have fallen off near two millions sterling, the
consumption of beer, which is generally allowed to be
the beverage of the working classes, has increased
more than two millions sterling.
During the last seven years the total expenditure
upon intoxicatirg liquors in the United Kingdom has
been 987,320,669.
In the year 1860, Mr. Gladstone, avowedly to lessen
the deplorable intemperance which then prevailed,
introduced his Wine Bill. It may therefore be
interesting to compare the
consumption of intoxi-
cating liquors now with what it was at that time. For
this purpose I will take the seven years ending 1863
and compare them with the seven years just ended
Year. £ Year. z
1857 _ ... 92,319 147 1872 .. 131,601,402
1858 .. .. 88,148,335 1873 .. 140,014,712
1859 _ _ 92,892, 557 1874 .. .. 141,342,997
1980 .., .. 86,897,683 1875 . • .. 142,876,669
1861 .. 94,942,107 1876 .. 147,288,780
1862 88,867,563 1877 .. 142,007,231
1863 ... 92,088,185 1878 • • .. 142,188,900

£636,155,577 I £987,320,671
From the above it will be seen that the increase in
the expenditure upon intoxicating liquors during the
seven years ending 1878 as compared with the seven
years ending 1863 was £351,165,094, being an increase
of over 55 per cent.
The population of the United Kingdom in 1863 was
29,433,918, and in 1878 33,799,276, being an increase
of less than 15 per cent. in population as compared
with an increase of 55 per cent. in the consumption of
drink.
The entire value of all our exports for the four years
ending 1878 was £815,000,000, being £171,000,000 less
than the money which the nation spent on drink
during the seven years just ended.
If to the drink expenditure we add the indirect
cost and losses resulting therefrom, it would increase
the drink bill by at least £100,000,000 per annum, and
it woula show a national loss far exceeding the total
of all our foreign trade.
At the present time the anxiety of merchants and
manufacturers is as to where they shall find a market
for their goods. Efforts are being made to open out
Africa and to increase our trade in other directions.
Would it not be well to turn our attention to our home
markets? for when by our habits of drinking we
squander, directly and indirectly, a greater sum than
the value of all our foreign trade, we have a prompt
remedy for the stagnant trade in our own hands.
The enormous burden of the drink expenditure is
one that in the face of the world's competition we
cannot continue to carry, and especially as it is ac-
companied by a deterioration of the workman which
makes the burden all the greater and outside competi-
tion all the more possible.
I will not further trespass upon your space except
to say that every one who wishes to preserve our
national status will be anxious to help all efforts for
redeeming the country from the foul blot of intem-
perance, which paralyzes its trade, corrupts its
morals,. and degrades its population to an extent
which is beyond conception.—l remain, yours truly,
WILLIAM HOYLE.
Claremont, Bury, March 8.

(a) See Trade and Navigation Returns, Feb., 1879, page 72.
(b) Ditto ditto Dec., 1878, page 12.
(c) Ditto ditto Dec., 1878, page 14.
(d) Ditto ditto Feb., 1879, Page 71.
(e) Ditto ditto Feb., 1879, page 71.

In reply to the above, The TiMCS of Wednesday pub.
lishes the following letters—

Slr,—ln reading Mr. Hoyle's letter on this subject in The
Times, one cannot but bs struck with th great increase in
the consumption of liquor during a year of great depression;
but from the fact that the consumption of wines and spirits
has fallen off and that of beer increased, it must not neces-
sarily be inferred that the working classes have consumed
more beer during the year, but, rather, the deduction is that
those who have been in the habit of drinking wine and spirits
have perforce taken to beer as one of the results of the said
depression of trade—viz., a smaller incorue.—l sm, Sir, your
obedient servant, W. IixEs.NIIILL, Compton-road, Canon-
bury.

Sir,—Will you give me a little space to examine Mr •
Hoyle's figures of the consumption of alcoh)lic drinks?
His figures, divided among the adult population, give :
Beer, 80 gallons a year, one quart a day; Write, 21 gallons a
year, half a wine-glass a day; wine, 1 1-7 gallons a year,
quarter of a wine-glass a day.
The quantity of alcohol coatained in a quart of beer, half
a wine-glass of spirits, and a quarter of a wine-glass of wine
is almost exactly equal to the alcohol in Vireo glasses of
ehe uetrrey.avSerao thgeredeauglyascsoens
soufmsphteirorny per head
Briadnigh benastaioidn.—to
b
Your obedient servant, A DISTILLER.

Hoyle assumes that because 4142,007,231 has
been spent upon intoxicating liquors during 1877 and
£142,188,900 in 1878, there has been a fearful waste of the
pecuniary resources of the nation and a deterioration by it
of the moral character as well.
The population of the United Kingdinn in 1878 was
33,799,276.

I have just lunched at the Reform Club and have enjoyed
one pint of Bass's ale, which coat me Bd. A friend at an ad-
joining table spent one shilling on a pitt bottle of claret;
and another sixpence on a glass of sherry—both moat
temperate men. For luncheon alonO, therefore, taking
these drinks as a daily consumption, le spend between us
£32 Bs. J. a year for these Intoxicalts. If all the people
were to drink as moderately and at the same expense we
should have annually an expenditure of nearly £370,000,000.
This sum may represent Me probable amount for the in-
toxicants consumed at dinner, and niay stand in place of the
children who drink none.
Unless Mr. Boyle is a fanatical abstainer he could not
object to my daily consumption, and he would not consider
one pint of beer too much for every working man.

I consider, Sir, that statistics each as Mr. Hoyle has sent
you are utterly useless as an argument for doing away with
drink. Beer especially may be looked upon as an article of
food, and, if used moderately, is beneficial. The same may
almost be said of claret, and even spirits may be regarded as
useful if used with common [tense and diseretion.—l remain,
your obecilest servant, 3. IX. C, Worm Club.
,

siii