The Republican., 1892-04-22
BEER IN GERMANY.
one-Quarter OF the Productive Energy OF
the Country Wasted.

'one-Quarter OF the Productive Energy Of
the Country Wasted.
Germany, the land of beer and wine,
is beginning to realize some of the evils
which flow from excessive indulgence
in intoxicating drinks. Naturally
enough the interest in the drink ques-
tion in Germany thus far has been di-
rected chiefly towards the social and
economic aspects of the case. Stated
in plain terms the question is: Does the
prevalent habit of beer-drinking among
the German people render them less fit
to do military service, does it tend to
weaken the country politically and
commercially among the nations of
Europe? This rather than the moral
deterioration resulting from the drink
habit is what concerns German pub
licists at the present time. 1t is en-
-couraging to note that the question
Just stated has been decided in the af-
firmative. Beer does not make good
soldiers nor useful citizens. A promi-
nent military journal of the empire
commenting on the failure of detach-
ment of reserves to come up to the
standard in drill, attributed the fact to
the inactive, beer-drinking habit of
life into which they had sunk. Ger
man economist has made his contribu-
ton to the discussion by figuring ont
how much it is costing Germany in
money and other resources to keep up
the beer business.
The showing is startling, especially
from an economic standpoint. 1t was
found that the production of material
manufactured into beer, wine and spir
its in Germany occupied in 1SS9-'90 Just
about one-ffteenth of the cultivated
land of the whole country. a territory
somewhat larger than the kingdom of
Saxony or the grand dhchy of Baden,
and somewhat smaller than the king
dom of Wnrtemberg. 1t is also shown
that if this immense field, thus devoted
to the liquor traffic, were diverted to
the production of food, there might be
raised on it in year 1851 millions of
kilogrammes of rye, quantity suffi-
'cient to make 3,272 millions of pounds
of the bread on which the poorer classes
chiefly live. The fifty millions of peo-
pie of Germany would be able to have
of this bread $50 pounds apiece, or a
family of eight persons 524 pounds;
enough to give them their entire food
for six or seven weeks. The loss in
money value may be estimated at a to-
tai of ass millions of marLs-a loss to
each inha bitant of marks II pf., or to
family of eight of 73 marks, enough
to pay all the expenses of weaver's
family for about eight weeks. In the
direct service of the liquor traffic, agri-
culture, manufacture and retailing,
about one and half millions of men
are engaged, out Of the twenty and one
half millions occupied in all the in
dustries of the land. In other words,
about one-quarter OF the productive
energy Of the country is devoted to this
business.
In view Of the facts thus stated it is
not surprising that the statesmen and
public leaders of Germany are consider
ing ways and means for putting stop
to the fearful drain of the drink habit
upon the material resources of the en-
pire. They have come to the conclu-
sion, says Prof. Peabody, that the ma
tion which checks the present increase
in the use of liquor will have tre-
mendous advantage both in physical
and economic warfare. On these points
Prof. Schneider, of Berlin, said to be
the most important leader of the young
er political economists of Germany, is
quoted as follows: Among our work
ing people, the conditions of domestic
life, of education, of prosperity, of
progress or degradation, are all depend
ent or the proportion of income which
flows down the fathers throat. The
whole condition of our lower and mid
die classes-one may even without cx-
nggeration say the future of our nation
depends on this question. If it is true
that half of our paupers become so
through drink, it gives us some estimate
of the costly burden which we tolerate.
Noother of our vices bears comparison
with this This is putting the case
pointedly and strongly. An American
temperance fanatic" could hardly have
put it more so.-Prof. r. &. Peabody, in
n. Y. Post.