Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-11-24
Money Squandered for Whisky.

The Duty Report of San Francisco
takes exception to the testimony of Mr.
Med. ii before the Senate Committee on
Education and Labor, and les to show
that he makes the very common mis-
take of looking at the question OF wages
squandered for liquor and tobacco from
one point only. A grog shop organ re-
ioicing in the name OF the JO2tr1ant OF
Freedom and Eaghts approves the views
of the Duly Report, as might be eX-
pected. 1t says:
all money expended by workingnen for
liquor and tobacco Is lost to them. whereas
that vast sum-say five hundred M lions per
annum-did not leave the ranks OF the work,
ngmcn any great extent. 1t changed
hands it is true. and perhaps passed thronch
and the distiilcr but. comparatively little
stuck to either of those gentleman; most of it
ers who did the work and the farmers who
sold the corn or barley EconomIcai-
ly the money is not lost, 1t Is merely trats-
:. \ large portion of the money paid by the
labOrcrs for their liquor goes to other labor
ers who raise tne hops and the grain from
which these invigorating beverages are made,
and to the distiiicrs. brewers. coOpers- drav-
men and others connected more or less dt-
rcctly with the brewing and .istllcry busl-
neS-.
The San Francisco journal, it will be
seen. does not deny that about $780,
classes 90 for intoXicant>. but contends
that it is not lost, i" it is merely trans
ferred to other handS'--tO the hands OF
the 25O. 900 nrOg-venders of the country,
who are consumers of other products.
The money, it is admitted. passes
from the workingmen. 1t is lost to
them, to their wives and families. But
this $500, coo, 900 is not all the loss.
While spending the amount the wage
earners spend time, impair health, and
render themselves incapable of effective
and skiliful work. Time is also lost in
rcttinr over the effects of the liquid
poison. This waste of time and energy
and health is sheer loss, not only to the
working men. but to the community in
which they live. 1t is not too much to
say that the impairment to health by
the Incorporate use of intOXicants is
fully equivalent to what Is spent III
money SO that while the apparent loss
to the workingmen is but $500, O,ODO,oGO
the real loss is double that amount
81 900, 900, 600!
As to the return of the money paid
over the bar to other 1abOrers. to
farmers, brewers. etc. Not twenty-five
per cent. of it passes from the hands OF
the grog-venderS. 1t is moderate cs-
innate to say that sixty-six per cent. of
lnc ulfSSpt;llulL0o VI liiC way" !" vi MI .
are absorbed by the liquor retailers.
There is no other business in which the
retailers profits are so great. These
persons who produce nothing are highly
organized absorbcnts. They are sponges
that yield nothing. They are droncS in
the social hive who s,lbsst on the honey
gathered by the working bees. They
live off others They add not one penny
to the public wealth, The effect of their
business is to in iure the wcaith-pro-
ducers and disable them. The grog-
vendors dispense that which damages
them mentally, and their customers
physically and morally. Their opera
tions result in adding burdens to the
community If the liquor traffic should
be suspended in this country, the FARM
ers might grow less barley, perhaps.
but they would grow more oats. and
raise more cattle, hogs and poultry, and
the wOrkn@men would have more
money to invest in meat and bread.
clothing ard furniture, in building
houses and in adding to their creature
and social comforts, and thus giving
profitable employment not only to the
farmer and the manufacturer, but to
one another. The brewer and dIstillcr
would invest their capital i'll productive
business. which would give employment
where there would be no risk of work
ingmcn becoming sots and then burdens
ON the taxpayers. The amount of com
employed in the manufacture of whisky
is hardly worthy of consideration. 1t
is not one per cent. of q year CROP
Y',.iy7