The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-09-16
HARD DRINKING
LESS IN ENGL AND
But Country Spends More
for Liquor Than
~ Before War
REASON FOUND
IN HEAVY TAXES
Enormous Gain in National Efficiency
by Reason of Decline of 80 Per Cent
in Excess Drinking Twice as Much
for Liquor as for Bread

LONDON, Aug. 81 Correspondence
Of The Associated Press. Before the
war the people of this country spent
SS00000000 year for drink Now they
spend 81 .200000,0Oo Nevertheless there
is not half the drunkenness in these
war times that there was in 1913. Heavy
taxation to provide war funds accounts
for the public's increased drink BILL not
further indulgence In fact. excessive
drinking has declined more than SO per,
cent and there has been an enormous
gain in national efficiency
All this has come about, Lord D'Aber-
non chairman of the liquor control board
told The Associated Press. as a result
of the war regulations introduced by the
government.
There is great ground for hope" he
said, that the progress made toward
temperance under war conditions won't
be lost, that it will be continued by
| postwar action along lines similar to
the restrictions now in force
Such action must come. if taken, from
parliament The life of the present reg
peace has been declared According to
Lord D'Abernon. ii is certain that the
country never will go back TO pre- war
| conditions.
The boards regulations limiting the
hours for the sale of liquor, cutting down
| the alcoholic content of both spirits and
beer and abohs!ling treating were taken
to rather kindly. on the whole, in Lord
DAbernon's opinion.
There has been very little friction. :"
he said I'VE have had some complaints
to the effect that ii costs an enormous
amount Of money to get drunk nov, but
| that is exactly what should be the ease.
The question of the price of alcoholic
drinks compared to that OF food is very
| important. If liquor is too cheap that
fact leads to oyerindulgence The duty
of beer is now seven times what it wa,
ten years ago, and the duty on spirit
also has been greatly increased
1t is clear that public opinion viii
not tolerate a return to the bad condi-
tions which undoubtedly existed before
The war. 1t Is recognized that the pres
est system affords Il basis for perma
nent settlement Of the drink question
acceptable to all
More than twice as much money j,
spent in England for drink as for bread
and the outlay just about equals the eX-
penditures for meat
After the war the governments wear
~ revenues from duties ON drink are ex-
peeted to amount to from S50N.O00.00C
to S150.000,000, a sum almost equal ID
the total tax revenue before the war
England has been noted for its heavy
stout, bitters and ale, and the brewers
thought that dilution would greatly i'll
iure tlfeir business. But they have done
far better than they thought was posi-
BILE.
The quantity of alcohol in beer has
been reduced by nearly two thirds
Great improvement has been made in the
manufacture of light beers, which are
said to be growing steadily in favor
! The strength of spirits before the wan
averaged about % degrees under proof
They have been weakened. under the
, regulations, to an average of between IS
and 10 under proof.
In discussing the sharp decrease in
heavy drinking, Lord D'Abernon said il
might be thought that the absence from
the country of millions of soldiers was
responsible III large measure for the i'm
provement This idea, he pointed ont
was refuted by statistics which showed
the decrease in drinking by women was
just as great as that by men.
No grain is now being used in England
for making spirits The manufacture OF
whisky was stopped two years ago. Con
corning beer Lord D'Abernon said: The
, net total of cereals used annually fol
, brewing is approximately 1921 tons
Compared with the total amount of ce
reals grown here and imported 5,500,0oC
f tons, this shows that the net percentage
used for brewing purposes is approx
1 mately %. In 1913 approximately sly
per cent was used for making beer and
21a per cent for distilling spirits. Thus
4 there has been a reduction from 81. pei
: cent to ~ per cent.