Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-05
THE COMMITTEE OF FIFTY
For the Investigation Of The Drink Problem
Facts Concerning II.

number of Harpers Monthly, MIR. Charles
Dudley Warner tells in his editors study
the story of the undertaking. and there
has lust been issue by Houghton. Milf
fin & Co. IA volume of studies on Ha1or
legislation in the United States. proceed
ing from the committee. The public have
for the most part very vague notion
about this mysterious committee; and the
people who are most concerned with
temperance reform are wondering what
relation the new organization proposes
to hold to their work. 1t is therefore i'm
portant to present the following author
itative statement of the province and in
tention of the committee of fifty.
This committee is not a new agent in
temperance agitation. 1t does not pro-
pose to take any direct part in reform
1t is simply an organization in the inter
est of research. As Mr. Warner says
1T was from the first understood that
the primary business of the committees
was not the expression OF opinion, or the
advocacy of one theory or another but
strictly the investigation of facts with
out reference to the conclusions to which
they might lead" The committee had its
origin at a meeting in New York III 1899
when q few men were led to consider the
possibility of bringing together the re
suits of educated opinion on the subject
Of drink so as to get Il sort of consensus
of the competent Would II NOT he for
selves. IF the leading Psychologists of
this country could join in a statement Of
their present knowledge as to the effects
of alcohol on the human SYSTEM or if the
varied legislation of the country coud
be studied by competent Observers whose
results could command general conf
dence; or if the moral aspects of the
drink question could be set forth by ad-
yisers whom the whole country would
trust?" Thus the committee of fifty was
organized. with the hope, as Its first
statement announced. "of securing a
body of facts which may serve as a basis
fer Intelligent public and private action.
/ is proposed that the committee collect
and colate impartially all accessible
facts which bear upon the problem. and
ii is their hope TO secure for evidence
thus accumulated measure of conf
dence on the part of the community
which is not granted to partisan state
ments" The committee OF nifty thus or
ganized. represents the most various pur
suits. interests, and religious COnnec-
tons 1t contains educators President
Low OF Columbia University. President
Eliot of Harvard University. President
Gilman of Johns Hopkins University,
President Johnston of Tulane University.
President MacAlister of the Drexel IHsti-
tute President Walker of the Institute OF
Technology. Boston; Profcssors:-At
water wesleyan University, Briggs
tCnion Theological Seminary Ely Oni-
Versity of Wisconsin, Farnam yale Uni
versfty). Jones tMarietta College,. Me
| Cook tTrinity College,. Peabody tt1ar-
ward University, Shields princeton Uni
versity). Sloane princeton University.
Business men:-Messrs. w. II. Cutting
New York;. W +. Dodge (New York;.
]. l.. Greene fHartfordl r. G. ogden
philadelphia. ]. II. Schiff tNew York;;
Roman Catholic clergy Conaty
tWashington) Doyle (New York;. Elli0-
New York;, Protestant clergy :-Bishops
Andrews tNew York;, Gailor tSewInee.
Tenn9. Potter (New York;. Rev. Drs s.
W Dixie tBostonl. W. GLADDEN. (COlum-
bus. o.. ". r. Huntington tNew York;.
Mackav-Smith { Washington) Munger
! fNew Haven Ransford New York, y.
| ". DR.. Adler of the Ethical Culture So
cic.y in New York; Psychologists: ---I>rs-
| Billings New York;. Bowdi!ch tBoStouF,
/ Chitterden (New Haven't WEIGH (Balti-
morel Heads OF Institutious:-D Blu
mer Estate Insane Asylum, Utica n. W.
| Mr.. Brockway Estate Reform8tory, Ell
mira. n W DR.. Hartwen, Director Of
! physical training in the Boston schools
F,cCnomiSts:-J. c. Brooks Cambridge
T. r. L. Gould New York;. David y.
Wells (Norwich. CtD, +. II. Wine
| Springfield. lH.l, e. u. Wright tWash-
! ington. y. c.; Lawyers ;-AlessrS. 6. 6.
! Eouaparte Baltimorel. J. G. Carter tNeW
/ York;. Henry Hitchcock Isl. LOUIS; sd
itors:-MeSsrs. Il. W. Glider tNeW orN
c. d. Warner tHartford. Ct.) rms mem
| bership is chiefly from the eastern states
50 that attendance at meetings ~ New
| Y 0rk City may be possible, pc{ there ar.
also members from Illinois. Louisl1n
Missouri ohio, Tennessee. W lScp0Sl'-
! All members OF the committee 81 mtg
/ pay their own charges; ana there nay ,
also been subscribed by members OF the
committee and their friends. Tor the OK
penseS pf reSe'tfch. up"afdS OF %lf"".
The work OF the committee Of hit\ Is
conducted by four sub-Committe tees on
different aspects OF the drink PROTEIN
one on its physiological aspect; one on
its legislative aspect: one on Us ethca'
aspect; and one on lts economic aspect
Each subcommittee IS given power ~
publish its own results as contributions
to the general inquiry, but to all such
publications is to be pretiXed a state
uent that reports Of subcommittee az
to be regarded as preliminary in their
nature. ana only conlributory of facts
upon which general discussion m2y IN
the future be undertaken by tine COM
iuittee as a whole. Thus. the phySioioS
ical subcommittee is engaged in a larg
variety OF statistical and laboratory re
searches. and "a volume OF its results l.
near completion. This committee has e.
it's command practically the whole body
o. competent professional knowledge.
and its conclusions must have high i'm
portance among educated men. The leg
islatiVe subcommittee have already pub
lshed the volume above noticed, In
which various forms of liquor legislation
sidered. The Ethical subcommittee is