Charlevoix county herald., 1916-06-16
SEE WHAT DRINK DOES
Who Makes Paupers? If the
+. Saloon Is Not Guilty
Who Is?

SOunty poor houses OF Michigan
now known as infirmaries. furnish
universal evidence that liquor is re-
sponsible for more than half Of
poverty.
Statistical tabulatibns showing the
effect OF the license and no-license
systems in individual counties of
Michigan are of little value as evid.
ence. Many inmates of infirmaries
are permanent occupants, whose entry
or exit bears no direct relation TO
social conditions. A lapse Of years.
possibly of whole generation, would
be necessary 10 produce any radical
change in pauperism as class follow
ing the abolition of saloons.
Two facts stand out: One is that
the authorities and citizens in dry
counties are unanimous in their
opinion that from the standpoint of
the county poor the dry regime is far
superior. The other fact is that many
counties report officially that about
three-fourths of the poverty which re.
quires county aid to individual or
family, is due to the use of alcoholic
beverages.
Official statements written by SUI
perintendents of the poor include the
following:
This county is In the dry column,
and we find that while the cost OF
everything is much higher, the sup>r.
visors are not called upon to furnish
us more money now than they cid
while the county was wet."-C. G.
Hallenbeck, Eaton County.
1--WE are pleased to inform you that
there are SO few cases in this county
which are receiving relief that have
been caused by alcoholic beverages
we have, a clear slate, are now dry
and expect to remain 500. o.
Prick, Oscoda County.
Midland County has been dry eight
years and people like it. Two old
timers is all we have left in the
county home whose condition is due
to drink. - X. Mckay, Midland
County
Confidential statements to the same
effect, are as follows: Drink is the
almost universal cause of poverty
while for temporary assistance it is
probably the main factor in at least
one half the cases. In my best judg-
ment about 80 per cent of poverty in
this county can be attributed to the
use of drink if not more. In fact,
nearly all the crime we have can be
laid to the same cause.
IL am quite sure that three. fourths
at least are caused by the liquor
traffic.
Following are few more definite
statements
Alger County: About rs per cent"
Genessee County: About 20 per
cent from liquor directly or Indirect
ly."
Huron County: Most Of the in.
mates of the county farm here have
come to the institution because OF in.
temperance and the use OF liquor"
Mason County: "35 per cent di
rectly and 20 per cent indirectly, or
80 per cent of all poverty in our coun.
ty is caused by alcoholic drink"
Iron County: Ten years as poor
commissioner leads me to say that
fully 95 per cent Of male inmates at
our county farm have come here
either directly or indirectly because
of liquor"
Kent County: "Of 500 families
helped during the year ending March
/, 1916, liquor was the direct cause
OF poverty in twenty five families and
an indirect cause in fifty-three faml
lies. OF 103 persons in Kent County
Detention Hospital last year, at least
one half were caused by imtemper
ance. In Kent County Home were.
1876 persons, of whom IS per cent can
easily be traced to intemperance as a
direct cause. L. De Payter
ITO the best of my judgment. l
would say that 80 per cent Of the
poverty is caused by alcoholism. II
would be number of years after its
passage before we could get the full
nefit OF state wide prohibition. The
effects OF the past years would stay
with us until the rising generation
took its place"-V. III; Billings.
Montmorency County: -Four OF
the six men in our poor house were
forced to come here on account of
drink"
Oakland County: 40 per cent or
more of the cases here are due to
drink. We are going through the
second dry time and we find it helps
very much. l hope for state wide