The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-15
TALKS ON THRIFT
Whisky's Decreasing Tax on Thrift

Whatever may be the consensus of opinion as to the necessity for the desir- ability of alcoholic liquors as beverages, no thinking man will deny that drinking is an expensive habit, costly both to the individual and to the state. A dollar can be spent quicker and with less to show for 1t at the bar than in any other way, and the man who is a good spend- err and keeps pace with the crowd around the social glass must keep pace that kills.
 or late years the production ana con sumption of liquors and beer has ln-
 creased enormously, and from observa' ton one would conclude that everybody drinks little and most people too much. The resultant evils are widespread and far-reaching, even to the third and fourth generation, for the cost does not end with the walters check, but with the bills for police, almshouses, prisons and Potters fields.
 The man who indulges this habit must realize that he is putting a self-imposed tax upon his thrift, as well as tax upon his energies. Of what avail to work hard and then spend to no useful end? Why work for the man who stands behind the bar? Why spend a days wages in half an hour and get nothing for it but a thrill? If the state should put the same ,, tax upon his income that he puts upon himself he would rebel. Then, too, he who spends his money thus must realize that he is simply putting money in the bank for the other fellow. It may take g. circuitous route to get there, but event ually it will find lodgment in some bank ,l 4 xx,sYv f<.v. harder than he worked for it. And the easiest way to get it in a bank quick | to the other fellows account-is to buy | the drinks for the crowd
 1 Cheering news along this line comes 1 from government reports on the consump- | tion of liquor for the past year. Alcohol I is lessening it's tax upon thrift. The consumption of liquor in 1913 was 14S. 22O,- O56 gallons. In 1914 it was 1S9, ,1SS,00l gal 1 lons while in 1915 1t was R5.1o5,17S gal l Ions, a net decrease of Is, ,O00,O00 gallons lr | two years. Likewise in the matter or 10. hacco In 1915 we burned up 6WOO,oO' 1 less cigars than heretofore in a single year, and the governments tobacco rev. enues decreased $2,5O0 600. One hundred and eight distilleries went out of business l in 1915, and 41 breweries ceased to brew Forty per cent of our government reve' nues have been derived from liquor taxes and in 1915 these revenues fell orr oVei l $22, ,000,O | Whatever may be the cause for thls ] commendable showing-whether because of the thoughts of war and what 1t migh' mean, or whether as a people we are pc ginning to realize that this Is 8 tax; ol whether it is because in many places yot can't get lawful drink. the fact remains
 that we are drinking less and saving more
 l Whether man figures that drinking i'
 expensive, or harmful. matters little as long as he stops This conclusion IS very apt to fatten his pocketbook somewna
 and pad his pay envelope and make mn | a better citizen. When he concludes tna' indulgence in any form of extravagance car get him nowhere but downwarus, ane thrift will surely get him upwards, hs has chosen well; for thrift consists not only in doing some things, but refrainins | from doing others. tho chief or wnict 1 is that habit which takes your aii ane gives nothing in return but regret, anc regrets are costly emotions.
 AMERICAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION