The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-26
ENGLISH DRINKING HABITS.
SEVEN HUNDRED MILLIONS Yearly
ron BEER md SPIRITS.
A Correspondents Reply 20 the Structures OF
nm English Journalist - snen Drirkin at
Bnrs and Men Asking for Bee- Money.


| nm English Journalist Women Drirkina at
Bnrs and Men Asking for Beer Money.
| To THE EDrroR OF The SUN-Sir. THE
| Sun of Nov. IL published II letter from myself
| on the Drinking Habits OF the English" l
have resided in England nearly fourteen
months. and what ! said In that letter was the
| result Of considerable experience and close OBJ
| servation. On Nov. 49, THE Sun, with its usual
| courtesy published n letter signed by Frank
| Fermer," in which the writer took serious ex-
| ceptons to statements made in my letter.
| shall not try to- put aside what he stated in re-
| ply. by his method Of II general charge Of 4" ig-
norancc.' but shall take the more simple and
| more honest way Of straghty answering his
| objections. He surely made as many mistakes
| az could readily 10 into the limits Of one short
| letter
| said that in England everybody-approx-
| imatcly speaking-drinks wine ale. or beer"
| Mr.. F. rctorts with n delicate thrust Of sarcasm.
| that | should inform myself that in England
| ale is beer" There he made something of
mistake. True it IL that here 'the nomcnca-
ture OF malt drinks is not the same MS in the
| United States. but | maintain that ale il not
necessarily beer in England. The usage in that
matter differs even in various parts Of England
| itself but in London beer is understood to
| mean porter. and not ale or stout at all. In
| "Whitaker's Almanac "a standard statistical
authority-for 1877. in giving the value OF the
export Of malt drinks from the United King
| dom. the author uses the words IS ale and beer"
| Ut is on page 1871; and her Majcsty's Commits
| siOners of Customs in their last rcport-the
| twrnty-flrst-use the same words repeatedly.
do not wish to change the language first
| used though did not then think II Of any inn
portance to make u fine distinction. even II any
Mr. Former says that "in actual pecuniary
value the consumption Of whiskey. rum, and
| gin Is far greater than that Of wine. ale, or
| llt4F /. "a "a n ia. Tor ut
give figures to illustrate. In round numbers.
Great Britain expcnds directly s7OoQOOO0O
| paid on 60 2u0UOO bushels Of malt used for
| home consumption. That rcpr, SCENTS fully
| 1.us3OOO,uOu gallons of malt drinks. which. Mt
| say 81 cents gallon II worth over siVO,OOOuOO.
or much more than half oil the total For
| amount To- i2nonpOO gallons. valued at S22l.-
| oouuOO. 1t WILL re seen that the actual pecu
MARY value Of srirs, instead OF l@'ng far
greater than that OF the others. Is only iriiie
| moro than half rs great He seems 10 have
| been guessing nj his curious result from the re-
! ccipts OF customs duties. The revenue from
| spirits il. indeed nearly three times as great
| as from malt drinks, hut that gives no idea Of
| the Quantities Us II 81 cach. or ot their values.
| About thrce-fourthS OF all spirits used comes
| from abroad and pays duty. The malt drinks
are almos; wholly inadc NJ home. and though
their quantity and value are each greater than
| in the cnse Of spirits. the revenue r. much less.
Nc- "aletineneo IL looked upon a~ q within; -
| there il nothing mora certain. | should say.
! than that. think the vote ON Sir WINS Law
/ son P'rm'-5N" hili would Indicate that.
bill moro mod rate ia it- provisions can - arce-
| Is 20, imagined. II simply provide, that the
| Iouil" shall HAY" power TO- veto th" giving ~
| nothing mote or less than that; aud yet that
| moderate" hill has never Lad more than 1876
| votes in th" House vi Commons out ot total
| II 6j2 vi s. such men NJ Lord Bcaconsnold,
| SIR stafford Nlrihcufe. tlr lat" Grorge Ward
| Hunt. Mr. Koehuck. Prot fuwccu. Mr.. Forster.
ine Right Hon. Gaihorhe LARRY. SIR Charles
Dixie. and Sir Michael Hicks Beach vote against
T. Even Mr. Jopn Brisnl, and Mr.. Gladstone
g'iher when the ban com Is +" vote. The fact
| j. that when peoft' SO universally drink, g- in
hous piac r ~ de .dcdv low rounto. hut nat
urly lil me puuiic houses ~. and make them
NJ. Fermrr insects inai spr table English
Girs and women wine have, ben derntiy
| brought up would rlt think Of going tO a pub
tie bar % drink ann sorry he has not learned
better than TINT. II Strikes me that drinking At
public bar is not a very mg st'p beyond the
| American people haye voted drinking had
| habit. and h-n.c, american women are not
English people do drink. and, naturally enough.
there IS 70 grent horror OF going into pm lie
good Epeil-h hnu-"w ives and thrir daughters
str prone tos p,nd thor TIM" ia public houses.
hut Simply thai Tar more women do - there.
md ~ = much better clU-~ too. than la tAe
United States. In company with n friend.
ON certain sdf ol street for given distance
mono w'r. nnl tt"d. Out OF n total OF twenty
| places at itrcn women w're present as Gus
| tome sand inthiftr'n cases young women We're
| waiiln- uu'u tue bar.
1filf 'Nlif' pom gent quotes lfte fNnreSS lfS
az miuc 'ou'nru,hg the school ~ CArl~t- Hos
piwl' ana Tr''ne 10, OBJECT I" al 9t them, !
! that II IS strictly under the management ol the
! Ohur % ana iuN ta'h .i9y receives hNIf
PINT Of Ter ii9r h.- 'lnn,;. ct ms ini"rma;
| from one ol On" auhoriiics ol the school.
distinctly call i i " Lonien" institution.
| There Is. iui" 81 "a branch ~ linuford. twenty
FIVE miles from London. and girls are admitt,d
there but there is not single female pupi!
connected with tho oil. main school men
l
management e the Chur III" / did not moan
that th' rrolrotoi+hip Is vested IN the Church.
hut that GA ntNus.'r--ifr tHachrrs-arc
| churchmen. ard tnat the boys. in thoir daily
life. are directly and strictly under Church IN
| iluenccs Tn" third statement II exactly cor
rect. and needs no gommcnt.
He seems 10 think my statement that lahorlng
| given YOU word ~ Two OF information. is the
most inrrcdihi" II all. II j. Of v"ry common
| occurrence. however. obtained "sueh mo-
| tons from my own experience mostly. Ione,
| stopped in London to obs rye the laying II
Workm'n question about ths material used.
lie answered "a. n though b. fully understood
the sHMe.t hut asked me inr h'er money
when iurntdto s"nWay Al ltrll moni, in sur
rry, asked two young men of about - years
m" nam" OF some ire" which stood near one
OF them told me, ana tn"y likewise asked Tor
beer money. Mh'n declined giving ii, they
tried IT, argue the cas'. Tut hurried On; Be
asked y man winch II tNo ronds before mo lrd
"a Loudln. For that service ho Also asked mo
to " 81 md him a gl,l,- oi alr" The point wish
specially Ia insist ul0n * this that they almost
always specify that the money is to buy drink.
sand thnt licepscsarc granted by the parish
should navc said "horOugh' magistrate.
k-it. for on"o; and am obliged for the cor
tr,ros. but not parish ma gstrutrs. think |
did mot seriously m,s"ad any one however.
iorl only meant 60 convey the idea Tint licenses
are given ny l' m1gistra" IS. aud tuHt tine latter
nrc "prSn'' Hna not G ar'cM rsr9nrG to
| errm inlponnuc. IN the matter after all.