Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-16
Liquor Bill Higher
But Drunkenness
Greatly Decreased

the people of this country spent $500
0G0,0o year for drink. Now they
spend s1.2oOo00. Nevertheless there
is not half the drunkenness in these
wartmes 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 80 per cent. and there has
been an normous gain in national eff
Cheney
All this has come. about Lord
D'Abernon. chairman of the liquor
control board. told the Associated
Press as result of the war regula-
tons introduced by the government.
There is great ground for hope.
he said. that the progress made to-
ward temperance under war condi-
TORS won't be lost, that it will be con-
tinued by post war action along lines
similar to the restrictions now in
force"
Such action must come. IL taken.
from parliament. The life of the pres
ent regulations will terminate one year
after peace has been declared. Accord
ing to. Lord D'Abernon. it is certain
the couhtry 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 abolishing treat
ing were taken TO rather kindly, on the
whole, in Lord D'Abernon's opinion.
There has been very little fric-
ton" he said. I'VE have had some
complaints to the effect that 1T 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 alcoholic drinks compared
to that Of food is very important. II
liquor is too cheap that fact leads to
over-indulgence. The duty of beer il
now seven times what it was ten years
ago. and the duty on spirits also has
been greatly increased.
1T is clear that public opinion will
not tolerate return to the bad con-
ditions which undoubtedly existed be-
fore the war. It Is recognized that the
present system affords a basis for a
permanent settlement of the drink
question acceptable to ALL"
More than twice as much money is
! spent in England for drink as for
bread and tho outlay tust about equals
the expenditures for meat.
After the war the governments
yearly revenues from duties on drink
are expected to amount to from $500
600 600 to $3.50. 100000, sum almost
equal to the total tax revenue before
! the war.
England has been noted for it,
!, heavy. stout. bitters and ale. and thf
brewers thought that dilution woulc
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 10 ne growing steadily y
favor. The strength Of spirits before
the war averaged about % degrees
under proof. They have been Weakened
under the regulations. to an average o.
between 38 and 40 under proof.
In discussing the sharp decrease II
heavy drinking lord D'Abernon sale
IL might DC tHOuSuI Iue1e thc oASUS'tS'
from the Country Of millions of soldiers
was responsible in large measure To-
the improvement. This idea, ne
pointed out, was refuted by statistics
which showed the decrease In drinkins
| by women was just as great as tina
by men.
| No grain II now being use in Ems
land for making spirits. The manu-
facture Of whisky was stopped twt
years ago. Concerning beer. Lore
D'Abernon said. The net total Q
cereals used annually for brewing II
approximately $4,000 tons. Compares
with the total amount Of cereali
grown here and imported 1850 ,o0t
tons, this shows that the net percen
| tage used for brewing purposes is ap
proximateiy 2.5. in 1918 approximate
1 per cent was used for making bee
and ~ per cent for disabling spirits
Thus there has heen a reduction from
ssh per cent 70 ~ per cent,