The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-01-29
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE
THE DRINK PROBLEM nv ENG.
LAND.


Our English exchanges are filed
with articles and correspondence on
the need of a campaign to Down
Glasses" A correspondent OF the
Spectator 0ondon) tells of a CONVEX
sation he had with the manager of a
large steelplant, who stated that in.
creased wages and the greater facil-
ity for spending in drink were work.
ing against the Government, the en-
ployers and the employed. The mills
are run all night, and to work certain
sections eight men arc required for
each mill, and the absence of even
one man-as is frequently the case
through drink-obliges the other seven
to be idle. There are no reserves of
skilled Workmen to draw from. The
loss to the Government and the trade
is eleven tons of steel in one night.
The manager said that there were
twenty low-class public houses round
the works. What boon prohibition
would be to that neighborhood!" ex-
claims the correspondent.
The Tablet in an editorial leader
entitled 1.-The War and Waste" de-
plored the prevalence of the drink
EVIL, and cited a case that showed
what effect it is having on the SOL
diers. Says the Tablet:
Last week two soldiers, who had
been under arrest for drunkenness,
were awaiting the arrival of a mill
tary escort to take them back to the
barracks. They had become sober
and repentant, and impatiently
awaited the arrival of their comrades.
But the hours went, and at last it
had to be explained to the police
magistrate that the escort had ar
rived, but we're not in fit state to
conduct anybody, or even themselves,
back to the barracks. In the face of
this unexpected difficulty the clerk of
the court suggested the propriety of
releasing the prisoners, so that they
might steer the drunken escort home
again. That little vignette may serve
as window from which we may look
out upon the wide round of English
life.
Another instance is cited by the
Tablet, where a farmer was the suf-
ferer. He farms 1000 acres, and en-
gagged seven men at high wage, last
harvest, tor NOW a forty-acre field.
''As soon as my back was turned"
said the farmer, the leader remarked:
This is jolly good job; we must
have some beer" The beer was
brought from a convenient public
house, and the drinking began. Visit
ing the farm on the third day, the
master found that practically nothing
had been done. Two of the men were
at the public-house, drunk, another
was advising his mates to let the oats
rot, all were Indifferent to their en-
ployer's interests. The farmer in
structed his foreman to discharge
three men, while he himself motored
to Lincoln to engage soldiers. Ten
soldiers on furlough were sent in the
course of some days. Arriving on
Monday, they worked satisfactorily
until Friday, when they were paid.
Five Immediately went to the public
house and got drunk, raised a dis
turhance at the foreman's house, and
were incapable of doing any work the
next day. The farmer reported their
conduct, sent four back, and retained
six, who worked quite well through
the rest of the harvest.
when we remember that these
random instances are only typical of
what is going on all over the country
all the time" commends the Tablet,
we are in a position to Judge whether
the prohibition of treating and the
limitation of hours in certain she'd
uled districts are adequate to the oc-
casion."