The Washington times., 1917-06-16


things seems pretty clearly toward a
more stringent Government interior,
ence with the business. The food
question is the first and most OBJ
vious reason. Nobody has provided
logical answer to the question why
the country should go to the expense
and inconvenience of rationing itself
while 1t is permitting vast quantities
OF foodstuffs to be used in the manu-
facture of liquor.
How the Sides Argue.
Some people, of course, have pro
tested that the food value Of grains
converted into liquor is by no means
wholly lost: but then other people
with just as much earnestness insist
St is worse than lost These declare
that the greatest consumers Of food are
also the consumers OF liquor, and
they seem to have considerable sta
tisticaI authority on their side.
Anyhow, both now and hereafter,
the pub" is going to be under the
necessity OF behaving itself awfully
well or Il will be abolished. The
country quite fancies the mathemati-
cal demonstrations that are con-
stantly being published dealing with
decreasing drunkenness, with the i'm
proved health OF those particular
classes among whom drunkenness
was most prevalent. and also indicat-
ing an increased deficiency OF labor
when its drink supply is reduced.
Emphasis has been laid recently on
q new reason for reforming the pub
lie house. or perhaps even abolishing
the liquor traffic. 1t is alleged that
in industrial areas where women in
great numbers have taken the place
OF men in the performance OF heavy
tasks the women presently acquire
the drinking habit Of men.
There seems to be a feeling that no
particular improperly is involved
when a perfect lady helps to lug a
ladle of molten iron away from a
blast furnace and pour it into a mold /:
but for some reason there is mani
festation OF distinct prejudice II that
same lady at the end of her days
stint goes to the pub" around the
corner and accumulates say half as
much alcoholic inspiration as would
have been taken on by the man whose
work she has been doing.
This view may be narrow and in
these times OF woman's progressive
emancipation utterly unfair: but
many persons are found to cling to
It, After the war women are going
70 be more numerous in industry than
ever before: il they become corre-
spondingly more numerous in the
Erogshop It will quite likely be a bad
thing in the end for the grogshop.
Drunkenness Among Women.
The figures seem to make it pretty
clear that IL the women are finding
relaxation in the pubs" they are not
drinking to excess in anything like
the number that some alarmists have
suspected. In 1914 there were I6OO7
convictions for drunkenness among
women; in 1916 there were only GIG.
The public house proprietors have
been earnestly protesting that they
are losing money at a wicked rate.
Many have closed and many others
continue to operate chiefly because
they want 10 keep their concessions,
hoping that business will be better
after the war. They are now vocal
izing the somewhat familiar theory
that the public house is the poor
mans club. and that il he hasn't
pub" TO resort 10 for the purpose
OF political conversation and social
edification he will presently be un-
able either TO converse or be edited
II must be said that prOhibitionists
are unmOved by this plant They
even proclaim that the particular
brands Of conversation and edifica.
tion that are inspired by ginshop in
dulgences might very well be sacri-
feed.
1t is suggested that the whole
character Of the pubs" be radically
changed: that something like the
German beer gardens be given the
stamp OF government approval: that
tables and music be provided; that
the individual consumption be rea-
sonHbly restricted. and that the
business OF drinking be put on a
more sOciable basis. II is very evil
dent that the whole problem Of the
liquor traffic is entering a stage
from which il IL going to emerge
much recognized. The reforms are
not likely to be concluded for many
years, and IL is particularly unlikely
that even II England should have
10 go dry during the war it would
remain dry very long after peace had