The Portland daily press., 1892-07-30
Grog shops a Public Blessing.
To the Editor of the Press:


The ST. Louis Democrat says this OF
New York: "For 1891 the consumption
of beer in that State was 9,512. $40 barrels,
an increase of the year before OF 424,4oo
barrels.'' There are nearly six millions
of people in that State. From the above
figures find that the consumption OF
beer in New York for every man, woman
and child is one barrel and half. A
barrel of good beer costs eight dollars,
an inferior quality, seven dollars. Ac-
cording to the Democrat the wholesale
cost of nine millions of barrels is more
than 1853, 900, 900.
Beer barrels are not all exactly Of the
same size-they contain from 300 to 400
glasses. Three hundred glasses at five
cents would bring the retail price of a
barrel of beer up to SIS; the people of
New York paying for that article of drink
at moderate computation as to guam
tity, $135, 00o,0 900 annually. Several years
ago there was brewers conventionin the
city of New York, at which it was stated
that the annual consumption of lager
beer Tin the city, amounted to $50, 000,-
900. This sum for beer in the State will
bring the cost of it to each person, young
and old, up to $22.50. This is as much
for the people of that State for that one
article, within seven dollars per capita,
as is the cost per capita in the United
Kingdom for Intoxicating liquors of all
kinds This sum, 135, 100000, does not
include the cost of the enormous quanti-
ties wines and liquors of many kinds
which must be very large.
In 1882 the New York Tribune esti-
mated the amount of the national drink
bill to be 100000, 900 annually, and the
indirect cost to be 800, 100000 addition
al. The Christian Union of New York
the same week declared the direct! an
nual cost was 100000, 900. Since that
time the production and consumption
ors of liquors of all kinds have in
creased enormously, SO that it has
reached the almost incredible sum of
$1,000, 000,0 and the indirect cost loss
and waste at least 81, ZOO, 100000 addi-
tional, making in all 81, 200, 100000. This
is vastly more than the cost of all our
forms of government (omitting fhe indi-
rect loss and waste) NATIONAL, state,
county and municipal. In England
shortly after the wind-up of the rebel
lion, a caricature went the rounds of the
press representing the American Eagle
holding up to the astonished gaze of the
British Lion the amount of the claims
for the destruction of our commerce by
British Rebel cruisers. THE Lion was
holding up his fore pays in the attitude
of amazement, HIS visage aghast.
Thoughtful AMERICANS may now well
stand aghast at/the statement that our
r1r;r III nd ind &c
more than twenty-five hundred million
dollars
This is calculated at the retail prices
and not at the prices paid the importers,
distillers and brewers. The country and
the people would be incalcuably better
off if the whole of this vast amount of
intoxicants was transported from the
breweries, distilleries and the ships and
thrown into the ocean than to have it
consumed as a beverage. In the former
case the people would remain unpolluted
by it, ready, able and willing to dis
charge their duties as good citizens, in
the latter case hundreds of thousands of
them are degraded and brutalized by the
drink. This amazing amount of intoxi-
cants manufactured in this country for
beverage purposes adds not penny to
the national wealth. All the labor en-
ployed in the production and distribution
of it is an absolute loss to the nation. 1t
is so much labor turned away from
legitimate and useful industries. How
can such business in any way promote
the prosperity of the country
MI. Landis of New Jersey owned a
large tract of land on part of which he
determined to build town, which he
has done, and called it Vineland; very
beautiful and fourishing. Preparatory
to it he obtained from the legislature an
. Act by which he was enabled to shut out
the saloon from it. That was many
years ago and there has been no liquor
traffic there to this day. 1t now has a
population of twelve thousand.
/ thought he did this as a temperance
man. met him in England and he told
me it was done only as measure to as
sure the success of the enterprise. He
was not at the time temperance man;
but knowing as he did that the liquor
traffic would be great obstacle in the
way of building up prosperous COM
munity, he resolved simply as business
measure to exclude it, andits success has
abundantly justified the measure.
NEAL Dow.