"The Drink Bill of 1909," compiled by Mr. Wilson, secretary
of the United Kingdom Alliance, appears in Thursday's Times. He arrives at the conclusion that £155,162,485 was spent on intoxicants in 1909, as compared with 2161,060,482 in 1908, the decrease being 24,800,000 on spirits and £1,186,000 on beer. If there bad been no increase in prices, the reduction on the total expenditure would have been £11,147,997. Mr. Wilson regards the increased price of spirits, due to increased taxation, as the chief factor in causing the enormous reduction of over seven million gallons in the quantity of spirits consumed. The figures, combined with other proofs, also encourage the belief that temperance is spreading. But that there is still room for improvement is sufficiently shown from the fact that about two-thirds of the total annual drink bill, or about 2110,000,000, is spent by the working classes.
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