Evening star., 1916-08-13

Enormous fortunes were made by the
dealers. The poison was popular and
sold profusely in tn the metropolis and and
the public that the substance that sup
presses the gastric juices and which
excites thirst was an "aperitif, or q
hour for certain idlers was a .'habi-
tude,'' "sacro-sainte" hour. Cases of
epilepsy. delirium and acute manias
multiplied.
The war came and created a desire
for general reform. Government saw
the opportunity. and in the
Russia's interest Of the public good
radically and definitely hit
neAoIm. absinthe a death blow. The
Gear Nicholas II. not to be outdone. fol-
lowed the action OF the French govern
ment and prohibited in all the Russias
the consumption Of vodka. not less
deadly than absinthe.
OF course. account must be taken Of
the opportunity. the time in the tide
of life. which, taken at its flood." per-
mitted Paris and Petrograd to inaugu-
rate two great reforms. which at an
other time perhaps would have led to
revolution.
The interested-that is, the distillers
try surreptitiously to create the i'm
preston that governments at Paris and
Petrograd will change their decisions
after the war, and that the present
prohibitions are merely war measures.
They will find that such impressions
are illusory: absinthe and vodka have
had their day.
But. as we have seen. alcoholism re-
influence in England and France. 1t 10
not a question of the consumption OF
wine in either Russia, England or
France. Neither the hygienists Of Rus
sia. England or France nor their legfs-
lators have ever dreamed Of proscrib-
ing wine as a national beverage. There
is a useful innovation to be ,inau-
gurated in England and Russia, namely.
the teaching Of the culture OF the vine
with the view of supplanting whisky
and vodka radically by wine.
France, it should be said for the un-
initiated, Is divided into two regions.
which constitute an object lesson In
temperance and further reason Tor
the prohibition of alcoholism-the WITH
cole region. where the grape grows and
where there is no alcoholism: the nom
viticole region. where there 10 no vine.
where the grape does not ripen ana
where alcoholism thrives with frenzy.
An inhabitant of Havre drinks 200
times more alcohol than an inhabitant
of the wine countries of Cette and Bor-
deaux. In the basin OF the Rhone and
the Garonne alcoholism 10 exceptional.
while in Brittany, Normandy and
Flanders alcoholism is very bad.
~,
Among the many propositions of re-
form presented are: First. an increased
tax; second. Limitation
Propositions of the number of. dram
a, shops; . heavy tax on
0usAnceo. the limited; suppression
of the privileges accorded the 'bouil-
leurs de cru or distillers: the absolute
prohibition of alcohol for consump-
tion. ~
surtax of 400 francs. or $50. the
hectoliter. or twenty-five gallons. waS
recently imposed by the minister OF
finance. Actually due to the indus
trial progress made by the fermentA-
products. alcohol may be produced at 20
francs. or 81, the hectoliter: the price of
a quart is thus reduced to the deristve
sum Of 20 centfmes, or 4 cents. and the
small glass. is thus reduced (for the
dealer) to a half centime; for the con-
sumer to Is centlmes, or 3 cents. And
this to show the exceeding cheapriess
for such a violent poison.
NJ. Rfchet proposes that by govern
ment DEGREES all existing taxes should
be increased SO that a bottle Of .eau
de vie" (brandy) in place of costing
cents would cost francs. or $3.50.
Would such an enormous surtax even
prove sufficient to prohibit alcoholism:
asks NJ. Richet. He answers negatively.
The workman's little glass will cost 80
centimes. or cents. in place Of 3 cents.
The workman simply takes one dollar.
nous sum for the poor household. the
sum besides that is more than sufiicient
to ruin and poison hopelessly his organ
ism. The question Of fraud on the part
of the dramshop seller is vast and rises
up against any repressive maneuven
short of absolute prohibition.
The surtax on the dramshop In N.
Richet's favorite measure Of reform aside
from absolute prohibition.
M Richef's The enemy Of the people.
he says, is the dram
1iaA. seller. He would abolish
this parsonage. who unfortunately
possesses considerable political influence,
which attracts the member Of parliament
who accepts his aid in the elections. The
reformed dram-seller. or, better, a
new man. duly authorized, should become
a respectable citizen. a wine seller, apple
and pear cider seller. thus putting out of
business the alcohol seller for all time.
the miserable bars and sordid ''xincs,s
where the workman for years has spent
in an hour his salary Of week.
1t is recognized in France that man
is a soeiable animal, and the bar and
zinc, according to NJ. Richet. might be
replaced by respectable. comfortable
and attractive halls, whose clients
might be under the protection Of the
police. s-
The question of the industrial -utilixa-
tion of alcohol is being studied by the
governments of France, England and
Russia. The latter, according to re-
cent correspondence. has extended to
September / the date for closing its i'm
ternational competition for inventions
for industrial utilization of alcohol. for
which large money prizes are offered.
Russia. 1t should be said. has reaped
already great benefits from the czAr's
prompt prohibition of alcohol - con-
sumption. peasant deputy in the du-
ma said: All is changed in Russia now;
there is no debauchery, no Quarrels,
The countrymen are rich. they eat weA.
drink tea and live in plenty. Criminals
have diminished IN number. prisons and
hospitals are almost empty, peace