The Nenana daily news., 1918-10-22
BR|TONS SPEND LOT FOR BOOZE
 BUT DRINK LESS

LoNbo4N- DelOEe the war lnS people of this country spent ss00,- 000,000 a year for drink. Now they spend s1,200,000,000. Nevertheless there is not half the drunkenness in these wartimes that there was in 1913. Heavy taxation to pro- vide war funds accounts for the public's increased drink bill, not fur ther 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'Abernon, chairman of the Liquoor Control Board, told the Associated Press correspondent, as 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 con- ditions won't be lost, that it will be continued by postwar action along lines similar to the restric- tions now in force"
 Such action must come, if taken, from Parliament. The life of tho present regulations will terminate one year after peace has been de- clared. According to Lord D'Aber- non, it is certain that the country never will go back to pre-war con- ditions
 The boards regulations limiting the hours for the sale of liquor, cut ting down the alcoholic content of both spirits and beer, and abolishing treating were taken to rather kindly, on the whole, in Lord D'Abernon' s opinion.
 There has been very little fric- tion," he said. We have had some complaints to the effect that it costs an enormous amount of money to get drunk now,' but that is exactly what should be the case. The question of the price of alco- holic drinks compared to that of food is very important. If liquor is too cheap that fact leads to over indulgence. The duty on beer is now seven times what it was ten years ago, and the duty on spirits also has been greatly increased Tt is clear that public opinion will not tolerate return to the bad conditions which undoubtedly existed before the war It is recog- nized that the present system af- fords basis for permanent settle ment of the drink situation accept able to all'
 More than twice as much money is spent in England for drink as for bread, and the outlay just about equals the expenditures for meat.
 After the war the governments yearly revenues from duties on drink are expected to amount to from $500, 0,000,000 to s75O,O0O,OOO, a sum almost equal to 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 injure their business. But they have done far better than they thought was possible.
 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 Tn favor. Inc strength of spirits before the war averaged about p degrees under proof. They have been weakened, under the regulation to an average of between 3S and 40 under proof.
 In discussing the sharp decrease in heavy drinking, Lord. D'bernon said it might be thought that the absence from the country of millions of soldiers was responsible in large measure for the improvement. This idea, he pointed out, was refuted by statistics which showed the decrease in drinking by women was just as oroat as that hy mon