The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1821-03-22

ln;smpsrarSe & PauptriSre.-- sosiety has
been established in the city of New York, sever.
al years, for the prevention Of paupersm. The
last annual report after enumerating, lntemper-
ance, ignorance, Criminal Prosecutions, condition
Of the Prisons, Gambling Houses, Lotteries, want
Of Cleanliness, Emigration, Pardons, ldieness and
want of Employment as sources of Pauperism,
makes the following valuable commentary on the
first Of these evils.
"During the last year, the evils OF intempe-
rance have not diminished By the most
accurate computation, there are 1880 licenses
for retailing ardent spirits, in actual force. N
the city Of New York making an average OF
one tipping house 10 eUery fourteen houses 10
this metropolis And by adopting the mode
Of calculation used by the managers for the
year 1919, TO ascertain the sum annually
expended in New York, in he consumption
OF spiriuous liquors, we arrive az the trghiiul
result, that, in 1920, the sum of Sl,393,0l |
was squandered in the use Of this single ari-
Gle And this, too, principally among that
portion Of our population, who are destitute OF
any permanent means OF support, depending
upon manual labour for their daily bread"
They add, that ii is found that &c the con-
nexion between the evil under consideration,
and the commission of a great portion Of the
minor offences which occupy our civil and
criminal courts, is SO close and intimate, that
10 proportion as the use OF ardent spirits ex-
tends, crimes multiply, and vice versa. The
records OF the Court OF Sessions show, that, as
the number Of licenses has been augmented,
assaults and batteries have multiplied; and
when the former has diminished, the latter
have decreased. The whole number OF COM
plants for assaults aud batteries, during the
last year. was 1901. During the first six
months of that year, the number was 400; in
the last six months 659 Here it is to be OBJ
served, that about $50 new licenses were
granted in the early part Of those last six
months, in the absence OF the mayor.
They add the following fact to prove that
The use Of ardent spirits is not essential to The
strength of the most laborious-
"Mr. Allaire is the proprietor Of large
foundery al Corlaer's Hook. During The last
season he employed upwards of sixty work
men, more than thirty of whom were men OF
families. In the course ofthe summer, he was
informed that many of them were in debt (;
aud on investigating their concerns, with sur
prise he ascertsined the fact, that every one
who was in the habit Of using ardent spirits,
was involved to an extent beyond bis ability
10 pay and, with satisfaction eqHal to his
former surprise, he learned the additional fact,
that those who made no use Of spirits, were ~
easy circumstances, and their children well
provided for at school. Nor did difference
Of wages from seventy FIVE cents to ten shll
lings per day, make any perceptIble change
in the situation Of the former class OF work
men.
With this picture before him, Mr.. Alaire
was at once induced to prohibit The use Q! ar
dent spirits altogether, in his shops, during
working hours. But one person left bis en-
ploy in consequence Of this restriction; and
this man had borrowed of Mr. AiaIre, while
in his service. upwards Of $500 10 pay grocery
bills. In conclusion 0: his letter, Mr.. Aliaire
observes: have great reason to be pleased
with the happy effects of this regulation.
find any interest better served and that those
who, from excessive drinking, had become OF
but little worth 10 me. and in many Instances,
Of less to their families, have now become able
and steady earn more money; and their
families as well as themselves. have expressed,
in language not 10 be misunderstood, the ma
nv comforts and the domestic happiness (which
they 10y in consequence"
Do not our Legislature offer encouragement 70
these tipping houses by making the fee paid fol
licenses a compensation 70 towns for the support
Of State paupers? And if these houses and shop:
are found to be great source OF evil, are they
not building hot houses to promote IFS growth!
MARRIED.