Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-06-15
v. RABSQk
SUGGEST$ PLAN
70 CURB LIQUOR
Thinks Decrease in Product
Can Be Secured Through
Government Control

@ 0Gtt ~ SSatNl W - ~ ~ ~ = e
Government Control
Roger w Ba6s6n. the noted econo-l
mist and statistician, widely known
for his writings IN the Saturday Even
/ ing Post and other magazines. IN the
following striking letter takes up the
liquor evil He suggests the novel
plan of government control In order
to decrease the pr0duct.
His letter Is as follows:
Especial Letter. May IS. 1911
PRoilHiTioN4
For various reasons, haye thus far
'refrained from commenting on the
great temperance movement now In.
progress Having recently received,
however. so many letters from clients
lon both the pros and cons Of the SUBJ
iect, ! feel that perhaps the time has
come when some OF us should unite
/, to work along sane and permanent
lines. OF course, many clients insist
!, that IL liquor could be eliminated. en-
ployers would have very much less
trouble with labor Whether or not
|, this Is so, I do not know; but certain
ly the working people as q class would
then have much more money to spend
on the necessities and real comforts
of life. which. for the time being
would be equivalent to large increase
in pay. At any rate, much of the trou-
BILE between capital and labor is due.
to the present shameful and wastefnI
habits of human life. When we cons
si,1o,. fI,oS t..,< bslIf<,, 3<<3tr -. -
tis wasted annually on alcoholic beg-
lerages, the use of which greatly de-
icreases efficiency as well as increases
expenses. no argument should be
necessary as to the Importance OF TEN.
perance.
The following facts have been fur.
nished me relative to the economic
side of the liquor question In the
. United States:
| III The capital invested directly
IN the manufacture Of liquors OF all
kinds is over $500, 0C0. 400. This is dis
Itributed about as follows:
Malt liquors Z. 3. $52s. O00. 900
Distilled liquors 49,. SC, 000, 900
Wines ..... -. $4,000, 900
I'D The total number Of wage-earn-s
Iers employed in the manufacture of
liquor is about $4,000.
CD The average individual wages
paid per year are s6S9.4 ~ or 500 per.
fday
90 The liquor industry employs
| but 95 men for every 81 ,O00, 900 in
vested. This IS by far the lowest pro-
portion of men to capital OF any indus
| try classified by the United States
census. The proportion In other In
Idnstries ranges from $50 men for 81
100000 invested IN manufacturing We
hicles for land transportation, to 133
Iaen for s1.000. 900 invested in ehemi-
tcals and allied products The average
| for a u the Industries is 454 men for
! 81 900. 900 invested. In other words.
! the liquor industry employs only 81
/ Per cent as many men for 81 600, 600
invested as do other industries.
The following are the approximate
figures as to the consumption of IL
quors for last year;
Gallons.
Beer and fermented IL
quors $500. 1000, 000, 900
Distilled liquors 135, 500. 900
Total consumption ..... 2.17O, 000, 900
Per capita linen over 211 so
II will be seen from the above fig.
lures that the average direct cost per
family in the United States Ii about
$40 per year. Of which only small
proportion comes back through wages.
When one considers only the families
which use beers and liquors the cost
must reach about $500 per family.
Most of this money goes to rich in
terests, although a large part of it
Is used for extending the curse
through advertising the products, sub
sidizing retailers and controlling Iegis-
| lati0n. In other words, except small
amount paid for wages, this great sum
| of money, goes either to certain rich
! families or is used for extending the
habit OF drink and debauching politics.
Moreover, from an economic point of
view even the labor Of the real wage
earners engaged in the industry is
wasted, for such labor might be en-
plcyed in real productive enterprises
were 1t not for the 1iquor industry
Hence, / see no moral, economic or
social excuse for the existence Of the
liquor traffic. =. S---.
| On looking uD figures for nv own
state Of Massachusetts, find that
cut of a state tax of about $10. 900. 900.
over $4,000, 600 goes to charities, about
$1,500.0 600 to reformatories and about
$65O,000 to the judiciary. If to this is
added the cost CT municiDal police
protection and private charities of va
riots kinds, the indirect expense of
the liquor traffic is even greater
Hence, aside from 1t being a moral
question and also an economic one in
which all employers of labor should