The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-11-02
POVERTY IS THE MAIN
Cause OF MlHVPRANG
DECLARES MARY {. CARBUlT|

II The writer of this article garment worker and
came constantly In the working cassesand
this Is what she said:
ItST HAVE been member of the Womans Christian Ten-
Union for twenty-five years. The line OF argu-
ment many temperance workers make today the
OF poverty used TO make myself They that il the
ngman would keep away from the quit drinking
The and his family would have the necessacs of fe
its comforts They cite specific draw their
| general conclusions from few isolated facts.
/ There's Mr.. Smiths family says W. c. T. u menu
ber in destitute circumstances. Mr. Smith is drunk tho
greater part of the time that he keep job when
he gets one And there's Mr. Brown my door neigh
bor excams another white bboner; wife and children
objects of charity because he spends his time money
the saloon.
Il heard of prominent State temperance workers
say but short time speaking of the army of children
working in the mills of the South fathers
would keep sober and go work child labor cease
"Now what the real facts the casea Is ntemper-
ance the maedae of poverty, or the other hand
does poverty largely act in producing ntemper-
ance! And today under the present industrial system are
not large proportion of the workers poor though
abstainersi
! 1.-TWO things absolutely essential for workngman
to have the necessare of life First do and second
large enough wages the needs of himself family
II he is employed only part of the his wages
low, poverty must matter Of fact follow whether he
drinks
I'm the year 1908 Carroll d Wright gave percentage
per cent See Eighteenth Annual Labor Report page 42)
The of 1900 place it in round numbers 6468o64
or 22B cent of the total Commissioner Wright enuer-
ates some of the causes of dleness follows:
! Establishments closed .......... 56o6 pct.
i Sickness ............ 1865 pct.
Il otrikes .................. 26I pct.
II Accidents Loo pct
II drunkenness 20 pct
i From this report simply fraction of per tho
dleness workngmen Is caused by nemperance
parativey small proportion arises from strikes
ting down of mills factories industries causes
onehalf Of the idenes while large per cent of sick
ness is largely attributed disregard crin,-
na extent of the employers labor for the their
employees
Il LESS than per of the appalling deness which
exists In this country be charged the working
Now let glance briefly the wages paid and see IL
they with the needs of the working class
AT least one-fourth of the working class employed get
than $40 per week for their labor of nempoy-
ment which of them this down in
of the In the majority of 20 per
cent OF these wages must for rent leaving from So to 81
week for the living expenses of family three or four or
more Does look If these poorly paid workers. If they
only thrifty frugal left drink alone would keen
the wolf from the doori
IF the saloons all closed the people were all
total absaner the pail Of poverty would still hang tho
home of the wongman because of his dencss at
times and the poor wages paid for his labor
ut Is fact that all careful students of social conditions
to-day recognize that ntemperance among the poor
more truly the result of poverty than the Prof Rich
ard G. Ely says We should forget the temptations to
inemperance which lie In the character of the toll many
ylabores Many hours regarded by competent
cause which predisposes to the of ntoxcants The
strain OF work by the side of rapidly moving machinery
system another predsposng of nempcrance
} which has attracted serious attention.
Frances E. Willard said Under the scarchlght OF
knowledge In these later days is folly for longer to
ignore the mighty power Of poverty induce habits OF
ievery kind only ignorance of the condition Of the
industrial classes that uaened single propaganda and min
mzed every other 90 that the temperance people evher
days. believed that II and temperate all
other material good would follow In the OF that great
Il grace >
ri II call upon the Womans Christian Temperance Union
and other temperance organizations get down the bed
rock cause Of the drink habit It Is folly to work with
effects yea is criminal in the light Of the knowledge we
,lhaysn