The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-12-28
Alcoholic Drinks in England.

The capital which is invested in the
production Of alcohol in the British Isles
is not less than Gl17,000,000. But the
enormous addition which would have to
be made to this vast sum if the value
were given Of the capital employed in the
production Of wine in the wide stretch Of
the grape yielding countries, it is quite
impossible to conceive. In the financial
year ending in 1874 the duties paid with
in the British Isles for the various forms
Of fermented drink we're For foreign
spirits, 95, ,329, $50 foreign wilma, G1,-
9S9,855; home made spirits, 914,639,-
562, and for malt to be converted into
beer, G7,753,6l7, If to these various
sums there be added tho further amount
which represents the brewers license,
taking the place Of the hop duty and the
duty on sugar consumed in brewing, it at
once appears that at the present time the
public revenue derives yearly clear
e39, 100000 sterling from direct taxes
levied on alcoholic drink and it will be
further observed that Of this great sum
very neary two.thirds relate to the con-
centrated form in which the powerful
agent is procured by the employment of
the still-that is, by the application Of
science and art to strengthen the spirit
beyond the point to which it can posi-
bly, be raised by natural fermentation ;
and very nearly oue-half refers to the
cheaper form of this concentrated pro-
duot -h;ob =. ornnorad IN Tho bona
manufacture, and which, therefore, it is
to be presumed, expresses approximately
the consumption of the less wealthy por-
tion OF the community. The exact num-
Der Of the millions Of pounds sterling
that are swallowed in the form Of strong
drink il our own island alone can scaice-
ly be ascertained on account Of the diver.
sity of form in which the product is pre-.
ssntcd for consumption, and on ac.
count Of the complex relations which
connect duty and quantity in the differ
ont forms. The amount can only be
guessed at under the guidance of such
figures as have been named. IF, how.
ever, one penny in the pound upon taxa.
BILE incomes be taken to represent, as it is
stated it will shortly do, sum ,of e.
100000, then the 930,0C0,000 paid
yearly to the revenue by alcohol is tan
tamount to an income tax of fifteen pence
in the pound upon such incomes, and to
an assessmen. of g3l year upon an in
dividual income of $500 per annum.
The fact which is involved the figures Of
these several statements would assuredly
be a very surprising one, even if the
large sum Of money were expended in an
article Of unproductive but harmless
luxury.
AS DR.. Richardson suggested in his
lectures, very strong impression would
be made on the public mind if, after some
long period in which the boilers of steam
engines had been fed with mixture of
spirit and water, it was suddenly discov.
cred that the engines would work quite
as well with the water without the spirit,
and that the millions OF pound, that had
been devoted to the production of the
spirit had all been so much unnecessary
waste. But the argument goes very
much beyond this in the case OF "tho
millions Of engines called men," If it can
bs shown that there is hurtful as we'll as
wasteful expenditure, and that in very
large proportion of instances the engines
would have worked evon better without
the costly addition Of the spirit. In these
days of the scientific application Of the
doctrines OF economy it certainly M ist re.
main a matter Of some surprise to
thoughtful men that in land Of advanced
cultivation and intelligence so many mil
lions of good money are continuously ap-
plisd to the production of commodity
which, in the existing habits Of sosiety,
may reasonably be held to be pernicious
alike to the pockets to the health and to
the morals Of the community. 1t unfor-
tunately happens that the question of the
influence of alcohol is a difficult one to
deal with on account of the subtle effects
and the complicated instrumentalities
which have to be encountered and un.
raveled at every turn but it is for that
very reason question that inperatively
demands more searching inquiry and
mere concentrated attention than it has
yet received at the hands Of the general
community.-Edin5urg RerieW.