Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-26
Mistellaneous Rsadiag.
OUR SMOKE AND DRINK BILL.
II Reaches the Enormous Sum Of ST.
7oO.OO0.OO0 a Year.

II Reaches the Enormous Sum Of ST.
70O,OO0,000 a Year.
Frank Fayant shows that the smok-
ing and drinking bill of the American
people now reaches the enormous fig
ure of s2,7OO,OOO,OO0 year.
| Since the time when Columbus
brayed the unknown seas in search oil
the treasure of the Indies, man has dug
out of the earth $15,OO0,0O0 100000 oil
! gold" he says. Since the panic ol
| 1907 the American people have spen'
for alcohol and tobacco $15,OOO,OOo'ooo
Or, to put these two statements In the
form of a mathematical equation; the
product of 42O years of human toll, sa-
crifice and bloodshed, Of daring dlscoF-
cry and explanation of continental WILL
derness. of cruel wars Of aggression
and conquest, of wonderful engineering
triumphs, in the never-ending search
for the precious metal, equals six years
easy going expenditure of the American
people for the weed that soothes ana
the cup that cheers.
How much is s2,7OO, 100000? If,
thousand years before the time OF
Moses the Lawgiver, the ancient Egyp-
tians had begun boarding treasure OF
gold at the rate of dollar minute
and if ever since then-every minute
day and night, these thousands OF years
.l,t 81 ~
continued, the golden hoard would to-
day be 500 years short of the $2,IOo'-
OOO, 900 we spent in one year lor alco-
hol and tobacco"
Mr.. Fayant says that the DulK ol
Why the Ring Was Given Back
$50 your engagement is broken on:
said the girl in gray.
Yes" replied the girl in Drown
frowning at the recollection.
What was the NATTER"
He basely deceived me. You see'
II was this way. / asked him one day
to promise me that he would never
again smoke cigarettes. He promised
Then | asked him to refrain from the
use of tobacco in any form. He prom
ised to do that. Later, l told him
had a horror of any one who touched
liauor, and he agreed never to touch
1t. After that suggested that thought
the clubs had bad influence on young
men, and l should expect him to give
them up, and he said he would
We'll, you didn't ask much of him.
but suppose he deceived you in the
matter?"
"Oh, no! 1 could have forgiven that.
But Just when was congratulating my
self that had reformed my young
man. found that he didn't need any
| reforming. He positively was not ad-
dicted to any one Of the bad habits l
made him promise to abandon. 1t was
a terrible shock, and broke off the en-
gagement right away. There was no
longer anything in it to make 1t inter-
| esting!"
| this money is spent by wage-earners
| II is equal to the earnings of more than
| 4 600 600 workers. 1t is two and hall
times the wages Of all the men on the
railroads. 1t is fourteen times the great
pay roll of the Steel corporation.
Sir George Paish. the English econo-
mist, estimates that the American peo-
pie are saving the great sum of $4,000
O0O, 900 a year-that is, that we are
putting this money into new railroads
| factories, farms, homes and other pro-
ductive investments, and thus adding to
the national wealth. But we are spend
| ing this sum every % months for to-
bocco and alcohol. Our enormous saw
| ings bank hoard is the wonder and en-
Wy of Europe. but we spent In 20 months
as much money for tobacco and alcoho
as we have laid by in the savings
banks in all these years of prosperity
and thrift. Every month we spend more
than we add to our bank savings in i
whole year.
More than half the total wealth OF
the United States is incorporated ir
manufacturing and industrial com
panies. banks and other financial insti-
tutions, railroads. telegraphs, tele-
phones and other public service cor
porations. The combined profits of al
| these businesses are less than the eX-
| penditure for smoking and drinking
The $4,000, 100000 annual outlay is
greater than the total cost of all oul
government. from the presidents salary
| down to the crossroads school house
1t is three times the national debt. L
is more than al Europe is spending FOL
war and preparation for war.
IF our habits do not change. say:
the writer, I'VE shall consume more
alcohol and tobacco in the next 3!
years than could he purchased for the
entire wealth of the United States to-
day-the total value OF everything pos.
sessed 10y everybody from the Atlantic
to the Pacific"
A quarter of the $27 900. 10000 is spen
for tobacco. and three quarters for al
cohol-that is, the drinking bill i:
|
bill. OF the two billions spent for drinl
s1.l7O 900, 900 goes for beer, $7OO,OOO.
900 for whisky. brandy. gin, rum an'
other strong drink" and $13O.0OO,OO'
for wine. The sIOO.OOO.OOO tobacco bill
is thus divided: $446.000.000 for cigar!
and little cigars. s73.OOOOOO for cigar
cites. s157.OOO,OOO for smoking ant
chewing tobacco, and s24,OOO,0O0 70
snuff.
Mr.. Fayant's figures show that bee
is the drink of the American people. ant
that cigarettes are rapidly becomin'
the national smoke. The consumption
of cigarettes has increased 500 per cen
in ten years.-Munsey' Magazine.