The Penn's Grove record., 1899-07-07
A TEMPERANCE COLUMN,
THE DRINK EVIL MADE MANIFEST
IN MANY WAYS.
Economic Aspects of the Liquor Problem
"A Vast Sum of Money Taken From
Our Population Without Any Return
of yulue-D rink's Relation to Poverty.

Economic Aspects OF the Liquor Problem
"A Vast Sum of Money Taken From
Our Population Without Any Return
of yulue-Drinit's Relation to Poverty.
The New Voice deyotes considerable
space to the book Economic Aspects of
the Liquor Problem" recently published
by the "Committee Of Fifty" The book Is
one Of the most valuable contributions to
the discussion Of the liquor question that
has recently been published. 1t is true
that its conclusions with regard to the part
played by drink In causing poverty, paup-
erlsm, and crime are not as radical as the
Views usually held by temperance reform
ers; but, accepting simply the conclusions
arrived at by Mr.. Koren, who has done the
work for the committee, a traffic that In
the light Of conservative investigation Is
to be charged with even twenty-five per
cent. of all our poverty, thirty-seven per
cent. Of our %pauperism, and fifty per cent.
OF our graver crimes, md that sends out
into the cold world almost forty-six per
cent. OF the destitut e children of the land,
car safely be pronounc ed a national curse
OF colossal magnitude, and Its abolition by
law can most reasonably be demanded.
Still the exhaustive treatment OF the sub
Iect given by this volume neglects one OF
the most important economic aspects OF
the drink question, and one that we believe
can not be too frequently or too emphatic
any cultbu 10 puDilC ullSullOu. ouo VI tuo
most serious, II not the most serious,
economic relations OF the drink traffic Is
the fact that a vast sun Of money is every
year taken from II large portion OF our
country's population without any re-
turn of value. The sum is known to
average about q billion dollars annually.
Or, to attempt to make so vast an
amount more tangible by comparison, to
substantially equal the total gross receipts
Of all the railroads in the United States.
Tho taking OF this money from those who
spend 1t, without valuable return, means
for some OF them poverty, but, what Is q
much more important fact, 1t means that
all of them have less money and some OF
them practically no money at oil with
which to purchase from others tho neces-
stiles, comforts, and Injuries OF life. We
arc almost constantly confronted In the in
1ustrinl world with what is glibly termed
"over-production," but the thoughtful stu
dent Of conditions knows that there never
has been any real oyer-production. II the
actual, reasonable needs ofthe whole people
were satisfied, there would be nc trouble
some surplus In agricultural products or In
manufactured commodities. And why are
not the peoples wants supplied? The
saloon can In large measure answer the
question.
Illustrate the case simply e%nougnsin this
way: Suppose n group of citizens. A, d, Q,
and D, who spend a large part OF their
earnings for drink, which they buy Of ono
e.. T would be glad to sell them potatoes;
G would be glad to make them shoes; II
needs their patronage in stoves and / ip
furniture; but their trade with L, tR
saloon-keeper, prevents their trading VI a
F, G., H, and l to any profitable extent, and
also in considerable measure deprives
these latter of the trade which they would
have from each other under more pros
porous conditions. The poverty OF A, b,
c., and D may be readily recognized as due
to drink; but when T can't pay his taxes
because these men spent for beer the
money they ought to have spent for pota-
toes, and when G loses his job because they
buy no shoes, and when II makes an as
signment because so many OF his %neighbors
use heaps of scrap-iron In plnce Of decent
stoves, few people ever think OF tracing
the cause back to Els saloon. Yet there
the cause often Is.
The whole story Of the economic aspects
Of the liquor traflc will never be told till
Mr. Koren or some one else shows us the
relation Of drlnk k to the poverty OF thou
sands who never drink.