The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-10-26

4
building have been employed during t6o summer
upon an average thirty hands, and abnnt 9rj0 ar
brick have been laid. A brick yard in apotbc
part of the town, which furnishes tie bulk of the
brick fer the Hospitl being under the direction OF
the same contractor, and which cinnIoys fycr, 60
teen to twenty hands, las been under tl,c e,,nc
regulations. This is example worthy of an com
| nendation and imitation A few wears .s;rce !,
would have been thought impossible TO have erect
ed such a building under such regulations The frt
attests the possibility o. carrying the principles OF
abstinence into large as well small operatiops
May we not be permitted i.crc to urge Ills can.
pie upon all carpenters and masons in town ana
earnestly to request each Of them, to make SINH.
lar experiment.
There are within the town sixty.fiye f,roil;cs in
which spirits knownnot to be furnished Ia tReir
members there probably many more. of which
no inquiry has been made. ..
Seven stores which now have, or heretofore ba ve
had, groceries, part of their stock in trade no
longer vend ardent spirits And it is due To our
me chants generally to state that most Of tbern o
press willingness and in fact desire to give nm
the trade in this article 1t is considered bY them
as the least profitable branch Of business and in tho
retailing department, is productive Of many bad
debts. The difficulty they experience is, that while
part tain the trade those who relinQush il lose
portion oftheir other business it being the habit
of those who purchase goods, TO 90 to those stores
at which they can obtain all the articles thew re-
| quire Your committee hope il will not be deemed
presumng in them to suggest, to such merchants as
thus willing TO relinqush TIE trade, the expedi-
ency ofhaving an understanding among themselves,
that they will at the same time cease to yend this
article and thus obviate the only serious obstacle in
| the way of doing So
| From these facts. existing within our own town
and witl,in our knowledge your committee think
they are justified in the opinion that much has
been eff afed here in tle cause Of temperance
within tD- last few years
But tbs is the bright side ofthe question Facts
are yet to be stated which prove that much re-
mains to be done
! 1t is estimated, from the best information YOUR
committee could obtain, that the amount of ardent
spirits sold from all the within the limits of
the town, during the last year, will not fall short
OF % 600 gallons. One.third of this amount is sup
posed to be consumed without the limits of the
town, leaving Is, GOT gallons consumed within. 1t
is also estimated that the public houses in the town
sell by the glass, at least 1000 gallons. Allowing
hall Of this amount to be purchased of the MGR
chants in the town, and one-quarter 10 be sold to
strangers and travellers, 1900 gallons will remain
to be added to the 1861 gallons, making in the
whole, an amount of 1867 gallons consumed in
the town. According to this estimate rather less
than i've gallons would, upohan average, be con-
sumed annually by each individual inhabitant of the
town. This estimate, high as it may seem, falls
short OF those made in other portions of the coun-
try. Six gallons Tor each person is the estimate
made for the annual consumption of the whole
Union. When we take into consideration the fact
that about threequarters Of the population of our
town is composed of women and minors under the
age of twenty years, who may be supposed to CON
sumo not large proportion Of this amount, and
the additional fact, that of the remaining quarter
great many either drink at all or very Titles
the great amount to be divided among the small
remainder will leave a quantity to be consumed bv
each individual which will astonsh any one not
accustomed 10 make such calculations
The population of this town as before stated is
about 4000 Suppose the women, and minors under
twenty years to consume onc-ffth of the above
amount of 1867 gallons, 1878 gallons would e.
main to be consumed by 1000 men. Suppose one
half of this number, IA part of whom Will drink
none, and part very moderately to average a
half of a gill each day; and suppose one-half of
the remainder to average one gill; the amount con
sumed by these $50 persons will be 575G gallons
leaving 1918 gallons to be consumed by go per-
sons, averaging 40 gallons each annually, or three
gills and one-third each day. These propositions
are based upon suppositions, which probably are
not far from the truth-of their approximation 10 it.
however, every one can judge for himself.
Let us make another calculation upon these
facts, with regard to the expense incurred by the
use of this amount of liquors. Three-quarters Of
the 1000 gallons retaed at the public houses are
supposed to be sold to inhabitants Of the town
Eaf gill is sold at the bar, in most cases at IA
cents, in some low as a. We take an average of
cents per half gill. This will amount to IS 90
per gdlloh, OF 10 SJjCOU LOT tnS gross amount OF
5000 gallons. Suppose 1861 gallons, the balance
of the 1867 gallons, to cost upon an average so
CENTS Ia low estimate when the different qualities
of liquor purchased are censdered,) the amount
will be S8S33 so, which added to the former
amount, is gl7 1888 so annually expended by the
inhabitants of this town. for that which brings them
neither wealth nor happiness, but want and misery.
The whole amount of the town, parish, county |
and state taxes, assessed upon the inhabitants of
this town for the year 1881, is Sl7,058,39. This
includes all the taxes of the town except $50 SO
raised this year for building and repairing school
houses in several districts. Thus S3746 more is |
paid for ardent spirits than for all the usual taxes
of the town. This fact at first would seem ncred-
ible, but it is nevertheless true, if the estimate
above made be correct One would suppose that |
such onorous expenditure for an article ac-
knowledged to be useless, would cause a consider
ate and prudent people to pause and lofect upon
the means of avoiding it. There is common cry
here and elsewhere against the opH.essveness of
taxes but how few think of the tax thus voluntarily
imposed upon themselves-a tax large as it is the
pecuniary amount of which sinks into insignif-
canoe, when compared with the moral evil pro-
duced by it.
In view of all these facts, bath of encourage
ment, and Of reason for continued exertion. shall
We not, ought not, to make use of untiring ei
forts to advance the great objects of our associa-
ton. We have but commenced our operations. |
We have but ascertained the magnitude OF our
duty not performed it. What We have done will
be OF little avail if we now relax our vigilance.