The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-21
CURRENT COMMENT
A Business View of the Alcohol Question.
So there you are.

The pocket nerve,' though not delinated In
works on anatomy, appears to be most in
fuential Many commercial and manufacturing
concerns have come to the conclusion that the
abuse Of alcohol .an the part of their employees
is detrimental to their interests and they refuse
the services of men addicted to this habit Few
companies have ben courageous enough to re-
fuse employment to men who use alcohol moder-
ately, because In this country. at least 1t would
appear to be an infringement on personal lib
=, erty. Accidents like the terrible one" on the
Delaware and Lackawanna railroad the
Fourth of July last cannot happen the Berlin
elevated railroad because every employe be-
fore going TO work must report to a Trustworthy
officer, who ascertains whether or not he is
| under the influence of liquor. 1t were we'll If
all railroad companies adopted this rule. for 1t
would prevent much loss Of life and many
maimings If all engineers having control in fac
tories and other places in which large numbers
are assembled We're subjected to similar scrutiny
There is reliable authority for even more
I eNactinE mea7ures German INVESTIGATOR has
ascertained that to workmen OF twenty-f 1--WE to
| forty four years who are users of alcohol have
| been traced three times many accidents
sulting in injuries as TO all the other workmen
together, and the loss of time arising from such
| injuries was fourfod that incurred by all the
| other workmen. 1t was calculated that by for
| bidding the use OF alcohol per cent OF all
accidents would be prevented and the work
mems SICK benefit societies would save 4560.000
marks annually, more than million dollars.
There facts were clearly brought out In the n.y.
gienc congress by DR.. w. F. Boos who also
! points out that accidents occurred on
Monday. showing that they were probably due
to weekend tipling which leaves the man in an
the regular of alcohol, even in moderate
quantities, gradually undermnes the nervous
| system. the man grows less alert his senses are
less acute. and when he is injured this is evil
! derced by the occurrence of delirum tremens
When the new workmen's compensation acts
come to be fully enforced employers will be-
gin to realize the role of alcohol in the pro-
duction of accidents for which they will be
held liable, though intoxication may have been
] a contributory cause. The result will doubtless
| he salutary the powerful pocket nerve" will
influence employers TO avoid workruen who use
alcohol at all, in order to diminish the prob
ability OF accidents. There Is no computation
of the benefcent results OF such precautionary
emasure. and alone in the saving of life, limb
/ ard property bur in the enormous benefits to the
! workman and his family, whose resources
meagre enough at best. would no longer be Grip
pied by the OUTLAWS involved In Illness and
deaths caused furthered by alcohol-New
York Sun.
Mr.. Bryan and the Democratic Administration
There is considerable number of people
who seem to be trying to foment discord in
1.-THE incoming Democratic administration by
trying to make trouble between Governor Will
landAMr. Bryan. The New York Sun is one of
the papers that made early start in the
undertaking. by saying a day or so after the
election that the first thing Governor Wilson
should do was to get a strangle hold ON
Organism" Many other papers and individ-
uals have been adding fuel to the same fame.
The chief method OF stirring up discord just
now is the general discussion of the question
whether Mr.. Bryan is to be In the new cabinet.
There have been many interviews on the sub
ject. and all sorts OF attempts have been made
to corkscrew utterances about il. both from
Governor Wilson and Mr.. Bryan. Governor
Wilson has made it very emphatic that he was