New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-02-29
Saloons IN which the ave

OF 1t. Saloons IN which the average
quantity that is lost per keg is less than
gallon, are perhaps the exception and
not the rule. Then the amount of tax
paid by the liquor traffic cannot be con-
sidered as a loss to the nation. Accord
ing to the report of the commissioner
OF internal revenue, dated January "a,
1883, the amount of tax collected by the
national government from 1862 to 1887,
was, on spirits, l,099 million dollars,
and on fermented beverages, 249 million
dollars, making total average per
year Of 81 million dollars. 70 this the
local taxation of the liquor traffic must
De added. This entire amount goes to
diminish the taxes paid by Gods chosen
people, the total abstains1s- and it is
folly for them to hold that what is a
saving to their own pockets is loss to
the nation. Nor should it be forgotten
that the liquor traffic furnishes employ
ment to thousands and thousands of
people engaged in manufacturing and
vending alcoholics. One must have
strange notions of political economy
and nations wealth who can calmly
put down as a loss to the nation what
ever is spent for things other than
the necessaries of life. Coming down
to Chinese frugality would wipe out
perhaps ninety per cent. of our indus
tries and environ us with the blessings
OLA Chinese civilization.
Little need be added concerning what
is called the indirect cost of alcohol.
One can prove almost anything by Sc
lecting figure from an authentic re-
port and multiplying Or dividing it by
a number arbitrarily chosen. For 1872,
DR.. Hargreaves multiplies the number
OF licenses by 4, and thus finds that
there were more than 100000 confirmed
drunkards in the country in that wear.
He divides the adult male population
by ., and makes out 100000 tipplers
exclusive of the drunkards. Adding,
there were more than 100000 hard
drinkers in 1872 = nearly ene-fourth of
the adult male population. Placing
the value OF each mans time at $500 a
year, and assuming that drunkard
loses one-half and a mere tippler one
sixth of his time by his habits, DR.. Har-
greayes finds, by his own peculiar
arithmetic, that these men lose time
worth 296 million dollars per annum
This is but one of the items to be added
to the 800 million dollars obtained
above for 1872, to find the combined
direct and indirect cost of alcohol. But
there are others that represent greater
amounts and are far less reasona BILE
than this. The extravagant amounts
given as the direct cost evidently cover
every ounce of material, every hour of
time and labor and the interest of the
capital employed in the production and
sale of alcoholics. But all of this is
charged again under the head of indi-
rect cost by most authorities. One
writer holds that 10000 drunkards die
annually in the United States each of
these has shortened his life 10 years.
Consequently, there is an annual loss
from this source of 100000 years of
productive labor, which must be includ-
ed in the bill for indirect cost. At $500
a year, this item alone would give 800
million dollars per annum. It is Won
der that our truth-loving friends are
content with fixing the combined direct
and indirect cost of alcohol at $500
million dollars annually.