The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-05-08 00:00:00

THE CTOTTII7 7,.11)Cr- E OBSER
THE NATIONAL DRINK BILL FOR i
1879.

The following is an extract from a letter in The Times
signed, "An Alavoctlterof Moderation :"
,
During the last 40 years, with only slight variations
which can easily be accounted for, the consumption of
wines, spirits, and beer, has risen and fallen exactly
in proportion to prosperity, and can, therefore, be
traced to the increased wages of the lees educated
portion of the population. This is fully borne out by
the rise and fall in the value of publichouse property,
while tea, sugar, and tobacco have steadily
increased during the whole of the period named.
No one would desire that those true-hearted bene-
factors whose energies are directed to this subject
should relax their efforts, although it is not so much
to the extreme thinkers and workers that so much
good is due to those who provide counter-attractions
to drinking. The coffee tavern cannot fail to be bene-
ficial, but there is also the unmistakable influence of
education at work, enabling all to watch the daily
history of the world throighthe medium of the Press,
as well as past events to be read of in books' besides
all those varied occupations and amusements of the
present day which did not exist to the same extent a
few years back, such as cricket, football, all athletic
sports, bicycling, racing of every description, and most
of all the great Volunteer movement, not omitting
the ivonderful counter-influences of the growing tastes
for the arts, sciences, drama, and music by those whose
minds are now open to receive them by that educa-
tion that was formerly unknown to them. Would
that our new rulers could fan the flame for this taste
and throw open on Sundays all those institutions that
would expand the mind and alleviate intemperance.
Let the attention of the benevolent be directed to
working-mens' clubs now existing, and they will find
on inquiry that they are doing more good than a
thousand' Acts of Parliament. Among them are
instances where members can have anything they
choose to ask for; but because there are counter-
attractions, intemperance is unknown, and the alcohol
consumed is ridiculously infinitesimal.
The quantity of alcohol in all sham consumed in
England will bear favourable comparison with other
countries. It is the distribution that is wrong.
Instance the use of wine, which was taken to excess
in olden times ; but now the consumption is three times
more than it was years ago. Spread over a wider area
this abuse is positively unknown. The Lords Com-
mittee traced out the main causes of intemperance and
advised thereon, and as legislation on the liquor
traffic is politically less dangerous than it was, pro-
bably something may be done. Committals for in-
temperance "are decreasing, and there is less reeling in
our streets than formerly; but this certainly arises
from the less spending power of those who had become
confirmed habitutcs of the drinking-bar, because in
their day there was no other occupation to kill
time.
There are not a few who think drinking on the
premises less objectionable than at home, which they
call "secret drinking ;" whereas the former is in reality
done without the knowledge of a single person in-
terested in their temperance, while at home there is at
least some safeguard and protection. Every corn-
mital and every sign of intemperance in the public
highway must arise from drinking in licensed houses,
as no one would take more than was good for him
at home and go out to exhibit his excesses in
the streets; so that if there could be a per-
fectly clean police-sheet and no sign of intem-
perance in our streets, our country would purify its
name for drunkenness, even though some little had
been consumed at home. A great deal of good is, I
am sure, being done by those friends of the licensed
victuallers who are advising comfortable parlours and
newspapers and whatever they can in counter-attrac-
tions and the encouragement of the trade for consump-
tion at home. Whenever you see a jug or bottle go
into a private house you may be sure that there is a
degree of safety in its use.