Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1920-10-29
ENGLISH 'DRUNKS'
DOUBLE IN.1919
Statistics lust Announced Reveal
Startling Reaction From
Dry Wave.
BEGAN BEFORE WARS END
Women Keep Step With Men In Re-
turn to Old Era Of Drinking Days
Number Of Registered Clubs
Increased Some 900.

increased some SUU.
London.-The licensing statistics for
1919 show that during that year there
occurred q strong reaction from the
notable decrease in convictions for
Drunkenness which began In the lat
ter months of the year 1914 and per-
sisted through the years 1915, 1916,
1917 and 1918. The total number of
convictions for drunkenness In Eng
land and Wales I'm 1919 was nearly
double the figure for 1918. viz. 57,94S.
as compared with 29,075-an increase
Of 2S,S73 or 99.3 per cent.
The reaction, It is pointed out. be-
gan In the middle of the year 1918,
and was at first gentle and hesitating;
II gathered force early In the year
1919, and from March onward the fig
ures for every month, with the ex-
ception Of October. exceeded those for
the preceding month by percentages
which were never less than five and
rose to "a as between December and
November, and 48 as between March
End February. AS compared with the
corresponding months Of 1918. the fig
ures for every month In 1919 from
March onward showed Increases vary
ing from to 31S per cent. In Sep
TENDER. 1919. the convictions were
nearly three times, In November more
than three times, and In December
more than four times as many as In
the same months In the year 1918. On
the other hand, December is the only
month In 1910 which shows figures
exceeding one-half Of those for the
corresponding month Of 1913. the year
in which the convictions reached the
maximum recorded (1SS.877) and the
other months. range. In relation to
1913, from less than one-half to less
than one-fifth.
Some Of the Reasons.
In some general comments on the
statistics of drunkenness the report
states:
There is In these records Of convic-
lions for drunkenness and the move
ments shown therein a great wealth Of
material for research into the problem
Of public drunkenness and Its causes,
and cure. But the en-
terprise Is long and difficult and, to
be successful, ought to march with
practical administration and expert
ment. More or less superficial manip-
ulation Of the figures and facts on
paper has all the dangers and sterility
of mere speculation. Out of the many
and various contributory eircum-
stances II is almost impossible and
extremely unsafe to isolate this one
or that one, or this or that group, and
call II the cause Of the particular
sideratlop. Some of the circumstances
or causes-which operated at different
times I'm different ways and In differ
ent degrees In different disrrlcts-pay
be stated as follows: There were more
men at home, and fewer Of them In
khaki. more policemen (and those less
overworked) available for street duty.
more hours for drinking. more land
stronger) liquor. more light in the
streets, TOre money, more leisure. less
self-control, less appreciation OF the
fact that drunkenness matters" now
the war Is over. less readiness to
realize that the progress toward gen.
eral sobriety won during the war ought
to he carried on In peace time, and
lack Of adequate equipment for driv-
ing that point home.
OF the 57,94S convictions In 1919.
53,621, or 90 per cent, occurred In pO-
lice districts wholly within the opera
ton of the Central Control Boards re-
strictions. 3,704 In districts partly with
in, and 823, or just over one per cent
In districts entirely beyond their
scope. II will be seen that the table
given above is dominated by Greater
London and Northern England, I. e..
the counties north Of q line drawn
from the mouth of the Severn to the
Wash. Together Greater London and
Northern England with population
Of about II per cent Of the total for
England and Wales) account for 3d.
900, or 90 per cent Of the total con-
victions. Greater London showing
about 20 per cent of population and SO
VI
England 81 per cent of population and
81 per cent Of convictions for 1919
were 1919 per cent In excess of those
for 1918, and Northern England
showed an increase of 90 per cent;
but the December figure for Northern
England was just over FIVE times as
great as in 1913. while the Greater
London December figure was less than
four times as great.
Tables are given showing the con-
victIons of men and women separately
for each month of 1919. OF the total
number 81 per cent, or 46,765 convic-
lions related TO men. and 11,1S3. or 10
per cent to women. In relation to the
estimated number Of persons of Fl
years Of age and upward In 1919. the
figures represent for men so per 49,
, 900, and for women nine per 10000.
The figures for men are more than
twice ms numerous as those recorded
In 1918. viz. 21.S53. and exceed the
total for 1917. viz, 34,103; those for
...o,,a, axcoad tho 1919 totoI NJ Z OOD