"
The Consumptton of Beer.
THE Excise returns for the first quarter of the current year have just been issued, and we are thus placed in a position to form some opinion of the prospects of the brewing trade. The figures generally show a Slight decrease, which, however, we think is more apparent than real, for, owing to the dearness of raw materials, and a desire to pay large dividends, many brewing firms have not manufactured such large quantities Of stock ales as in former years. We have compiled the following tables in order to render comparison easy. The following table shows the total number of barrels of beer which were charged with duty on the quarter ended March 31 in this and the two preceding years:—
| TOTAL PRODUCTION OF BEER. |
|
|
1890 |
1891 |
1892 |
| England and Wales |
barrels |
6,645,884 |
6,696,350 |
6,676,750 |
| Scotland |
,, |
421,013 |
426,484 |
409,900 |
| Ireland |
,, |
566,122 |
601,877 |
602,160 |
| United Kingdom |
,, |
7,633,019 |
7,724,711 |
7,688,810 |
It will be seen that the decrease this year, as compared with 1891, amounted to 35,901 barrels, but there is an increase of 55,791 barrels for the quarter ended March 31 last over the corresponding period of 1890, so that the small falling off noticeable in comparing 1891 and 1892 need not cause the slightest alarm; in fact, we think the brewing trade is to be congratulated that the decrease is not greater, considering the general curtailment of business throughout the whole country. The following table shows the total number of barrels of beer exported to foreign countries on drawback, and free of duty in the quarter ended March 31, in this and the two preceding years:—
| TOTAL EXPORT OF BEER. |
|
|
1890 |
1891 |
1892 |
| Englaan and Wales |
barrels |
89,842 |
77,805 |
79,035 |
| Scotland |
,, |
72,584 |
72,942 |
70,381 |
| Ireland |
,, |
2,998 |
3,366 |
4,009 |
| United Kingdom |
|
165,424 |
154,111 |
154,025 |
Practically speaking, the total quantities of beer exported from the United Kingdom in the quarter ended March 31 last were the same as in the correspond ing period of 1891, but less by 11,399 barrels than the quantities exported in the corresponding period of 1890. Another feature about the table above is that the shipments from England and Ireland have increased, whilst those from Scotland have decreased. Of course, it is well understood that large quantities of beer are transferred from one country to another before they are finally exported, and this is more especially the case with Scotch and Irish beers, which are largely shipped from English ports, whilst very little English beer is shipped from Scotch or Irish ports.
The following table shows the total number of barrels of beer which were charged with duty for home consumption in the quarter ended March 31 in this and the two preceding years :—
| BEER RETAINED FOR HOME CONSUMPTION. |
|
|
1890 |
1891 |
1892 |
| England and Wales |
barrels. |
6,556,042 |
6,618,547 |
6,597,115 |
| Scotland |
,, |
348,429 |
353,542 |
339,519 |
| Ireland |
,, |
563,124 |
598,511 |
598,151 |
| United Kingdom |
,, |
7,467,595 |
7,570,600 |
7,534,785 |
It will be seen that the decrease this year as compared with the corresponding period of last year amounted to 35,815 barrels, but there is an increase of 67,190 barrels for the quarter ended March 3: last over the corresponding period of 1890. No doubt the high price of raw materials has prevented many brewing firms from producing any considerable quantities of stock beers, so that the figures for 1892 are probably much nearer the quantities consumed during the first quarter of this year than is generally the case with these returns."
"The Brewers' Guardian 1892", 1892, page 135.
