ON THE PRESENT APPEOPEIATION OF WAGES, ETC. 



279 



dom Avas 55,850,790 busliels. At 2 bushels to the barrel it would give 

 27,925,395 average barrels, or 1,005,314,220 average gallons of beer. 

 Deducting the exports, 18,000,000 average gallons, the home con- 

 sumption would be 987,000,000 gallons. One thousand million gallons 

 is a safe number to take. The actual cost of beer is probably 7d!. per 

 gallon ; and at that rate the cost is 29,000,000L ; but, at the selling price 

 of Is, 6d., which includes duty (G,732,000Z.) and profits of distribution, 

 the consumers pay 75,000,000Z., or in the proportion of l-40d., the net 

 cost being only 0'54a!. per day per head. 



Spirits. 



The total consumption of British and foreign spirits in 1880 was 

 40,000,000 gallons. Taking the cost at 4s. per gallon and the sale price 

 at 20s., the entire cost would be 8,000,000Z., and the amount paid by 

 consumers, including duty, 10s. per gallon, and profit of distribution, 

 40,000,000Z., or at the rate of 0-7-5c^. as a gross, the net cost amounting 

 only to O'l'id. per head per day. 



' Wine. 

 Of wine the value of the quantity retained for consumption was valued 

 at 5,800,000Z. Add duty l,407,O00Z. and 25 per cent, for distribution, the 

 total amount is 9,000,000Z., or in the proportion of O'lGtZ. as a gross 

 expenditure, the net being O'lOd. per day per head. 



Total Food and DrinTc, 

 Collectively the amount expended in articles of food and drink is as 

 follows : — 



£500,400,000 . . £349,200,000 



Divided per head the different branches of expenditure for food and 

 drink were as follows :- 



Bread . 



Potatoes 



Vegetables 



Meat 



Fish 



Butter and cheese 



Milk and eggs 



Fruit, &c. 



