The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1884-05-01
The National Drink Bill.

The Christian Union publishes I
graphic chart exhibiting the direc'
annual cost to the consumers i n thi:
country Of alcoholic liquors as com
pared with expenditures for Other
purposes. The chart exhibits the
relative outgo for eleven different
purposes by means OF heavy black
columns OF varying hight-threc-
quarters Of an inch representing an
expenditure Of 800, 600 900. At
one side, extending over half the
page, towers the column represent
ing the National Drink bill: at the
other extreme, and showing by con
,rast hardly more than line is the
block which stands tor the total an
'nual expenditures for Christian mis-
sions, home and foreign. The bill
for drink is $500, 100000; the bill
for missions is s., 100000 Between
these come the expenditures for
bread. $50, 900, ,0O0; for meat, $3O3.
900, 600; for iron and steel. 1920
900, 600; f,r woolen goods. S237 900.
600; for sawed lumber. $233 100000;
for cotton goods, S2l0,000,OO0; for
boots and shoes, $196,000,0O0; for
sugar and nolasses, 55.O00.O00;
and for public education $50, 100000
The statistics on which this chart
is based are drawn from the last cen
sus and from other reliable authori
ties. Lest the figures of the drink
bill be thought to he q wild and care
less estimate, the manner in which
they have been obtained should be
indicated. The internal revenue on
distilled spirits in 1883 was $74.
36S,775; the rate is 80 cents a gal
lon; and the quantity Of liquor tax
ed is therefore S2,63l,972 gallons
A certain part Of this was u>el for
mechanical and scientific purposes,
but most Of it was drank as bev
craze. Sold by the glass it would
cost the consumer about $500 a gal
Ion. The whole amount at this rate
would aggregate $49j, ,7Ol.832 The
tax on fermentel liquors in the
same year amounted to $lG,900,Gl5,
which, at 81 per barre. l.represents an
equal number Of barrels, containing.
at 81 gallons to the barrel, 523.9l9.-
065 gallons. At five cents glass
and II glasses to the gallon, this
costs the consumer 1914, ,3Jl ,439
The imported liquors, estimated on
a similar basis. cost the consumerat
least $l00,0O0,OO0, which brings the
total cost up to more than $4,000
600. No account is taken of native
wines, nor of liquor, ''croo otcd whis-
Ky" and other which escapes taxa
ton; and the cost Of these may be
taken as a tair offset to the distilled
l'qTor employed for mechanical and
scientific purposes. The estimate OF
5000, 10000 il therefore by no
means a high estimate. 1t is a mid
way between the estimates Of the
New York Tribune and the National
Temperance Almanac. -Four cen
years ago, when the Government
revenue from distilled liquor was
about twenty million dollars less
than now, and the National income
from the fermented liquor was one
third what it now is, DR.. Young, the
Government statisrician, estimated
the nations drink bill at 100000 =
600. Ga this basis, the estimate Of
the Christian Union article cannot
be excessive. This is only the di-
,ect cost, and takes no account e
the burdens of paGreriSm, idiocy,
insanity and crime which are direct
" traceable to drink. THESE are
facts and figures which should ar
rest the attention of the most care
less, and should strengthen every
reasonable effort which is made to
restrain and diminish the almost
lnmeasurabie evils which how from
the drink habit.