The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-01-05
rim AND Rim

""o ssarttius Figures About the LIQUOR
Tranic-what and How Much We Drink
In This and Other Countries. ....'..,..,..
Several publications have recently
been made in behalf OF the cause OF
temperance, which throw much light on
the liquor traffic in this and other coun-
trlos--lts growth, present magnitude,
effects on society. DIR. Young, Chief of
the Statistical Bureau OF the United
States, included in a recent report some
valuable statistics concerning the cost OF
nquor. His estimate for the sale of
liquor in 1871 was $500, 600, 900, nearly
one-sixth OF the entire value of all the
manufactures, and 50, 057, 500 more than
all food and food preparations. The to-
tai quantity and cost of intoxicating
liquors, from 1860 to 1872. inclusive, is
given at So, $50, 161, 8C5. The total war
expenses OF the United States and loval
States, from 1861 to 1866, were So, 1861
237, 900, being less than the drink bill
for thirteen years. This is the direct
cost. Careful estimates show sos, 260
persons engaged in liquor selling, and
40,364 making liquors. These latter
consume 90,000,0 900 bushels of grain
annually, at cost Of $36, 900. 900. The
receipts of internal revenue for 1875
from liquor manufacturers were $751;
225 1856. The aggregate number of
retail licenses throughout the various
States is 500, coo, from which tax Of
$50, 900. 600 is annually collected.
Miss f. Z. Willard, in an address be-
fore the Chautauqua Temperance Con-
vention, said that America, in its Cen
tennial year, is spending in rum as much
as it would cost to put five lines of rail-
road from Maine to California, with all
their equipments; as much az it would
take in addition to that, to endow a
university with $10,0O0,000 in every
State in the Union; to build $1,000
scheol-house for every 100 people III
America; and as much as it would take,
In addition to all that, to put out at in
terest and pay for one teacher for every
100 people of the AZ, 900, 600, in America.
There were 69,572, 062 gallons Of
spirits distilled in the United States in
1874, and 100,000,00 in 1875. The
production of beer for 1876 is estimated
at 279, TAG, 044 gallons, or z. gallons for
each person in the United States. The
imported wines, about 10, 700 gallons
for each year. This would give for ten
years, ut present prices, an aggregate
estimate of SO, 1863, 947, 662, cost of spirit
uous liquors, beer and wines in this
country. This would make in 100 years
a sum equal to the present real and per-
sonal property OF the nation. There are
393, 405, 201 bushels of grain destroyed
in manufacturing liquor every ten years,
valued at $42S, 954, 842. 1t is estimated
that $23, 900, 600 is invested in buildings,
machinery, land and labor to supply the
liquor traffic.
A recent writer, in commenting on
these estimates, says: eff all this was
turned into production, including the
grain, to go to feed the poor, and the
money spent in liquor applied to honest
and legitimate purposes, we should be
the happiest, richest, noblest and great
est nation the world ever saw. We should
be sober nation. Hard times would
Immediately cease, jails become almost
empty, poorhouses vacant, tho labor
question solved, taxes vanish into almost
nothing, and the millennium would be
seen In the near future"
DIR. Hargreaves, in his book "Our
Wasted Revenues" gives official figures
from revenue reports and census returns,
showing that the United States spent the
enormous sum of $735, 720, 04S in 1872
for intoxicating liquors. In the same
year there were ~, 450 religious organ
izations in the United States, with a
membership of IL, 452, 534 and SO, 63e
ministers. All the contributions for
al 4,
81, 1886, 495. That is, while we pay 81
to support benevolent anu religious en-
terprises, we pay $15 for spirituous
and fermented liquors. The prema-
ture deaths caused by alcohol, as esti-
mated by DE-. Hitchcock, President of the
Michigan State Board of Health, amount
annually to 1,127,000. The same au-
thority estimates those constantly sick
from the use of alcohol, $4,000; mum.
Der made insane through alcohol an
nualIy, 9,338-being 80 per cent. of all
the insanity that occurs in this country.
DIR. Hargreaves, in his treatise, says
"The drinking system is directly re-
sponsible for 20 per cent. of our idiots,
40 per cent. of our lunatics; 70 per
cent. of our criminals, 80 per cent. of
our pdupeTS, Huu ID per Ccul. VI but
shiftless, ne'er-t to do-well, broken-down,
broken-hearted, miserable people of the
commonwealth"
Some interesting statistics are pub
lshed concerning the liquor traffic in
the eight Territories of Arizona, Dakota,
Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah,
Washington end Wyoming. Arizona,
in 1876, had 6 brewers manufacturing
fermented liquors, 167 retail and 20
Wholesale liquor dealers, who paid into
the national treasury 6,812. Colorado,
as a Territory, had ~ brewers, S79
retail and 80 Wholesale liquor dealers,
vino paid into the treasury $50, 143.
Dakota had brewers, 179 retail and 8
wholesale dealers, who paid $7,095.
Idaho had brewers, 273 retail and IL
Wholesale dealers, who paid So, 994.
Montana had 25 brewers, 404 retail and
33 wholesale dealers, who paid GA, O25.
New Mexico had 8 brewers, 494 retail
and 33 wholesale dealers, who paid
S15, S45. Utah had Is brewers, 435 retail
and 10 wholesale dealers, who paid
S14,953. Washington Territory had IA
brewers, 219 retail and wholesale deal
ers, who paid So, 100. Wyoming had 8
brewers, 294 retail and IL wholesale
dealers, who paid sc, 646. ...
According TO an exhibit prepared by