Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-09-08

Gated by the records of patients
treated for alcoholism at the Kelley
institute. A recent survey showed
that only 16 per cent of the habitual
drinkers come from farms and
country towns. And although farm
ers rank near the top numerically
among our patients, this can be ex-
planned by the fact that farmers as
a class far outnumber any other
single occupation or group Of occu-
pations.
Cites Public Disgust
"But while the country districts
are following their normal DISPOSE
ton on the wet-dry issue, it cannot
be denied that one of the major fac
tors encouraging the spread of pro-
hibition in rural areas as well as
in cities is public disgust over the
way drinking establishments are op-
Grated. People were told that with
repeal the saloon was never coming
back. But it did come back in many
states and in form far more vi
cious than ever before"
Whether big cities will follow the
rural districts in going dry depends
to a good extent on whether the
growing resentment of law-abiding
citizens against rowdy saloon opera
ton can be stemmed.
Apparently the saloonkeepers are
like the old Bourbon kings of France
who never learned a new thing nor
forgot an old one, for even the Chi
cago Tribune, arch-enemy of prohi-
bition recently barked: 1.-The cause
of temperance will be served if the
saloonkeepers are given a kicking
around. They have learned nothing
and presume too much" The Trib-
une was angered when the tavern
owners and politicians of Chicago
connived to legalize later closing
hour in return for higher license fee.
Beer Down, Hard Liquor Up.
The increase in dry sentiment
throughout the country in the past
year has been accompanied by de-
crease in the total gallonage of al
coholic beverages consumed. One
of the anomalies of this situation,
however, is that while beer drinking
has registered a marked decline,
the consumption of hard liquor has
actually shown a rise. Beer con-
sumption fell off 1885, 16 gallons
in the II months ending May 81,
1899, compared with the correspond
ing period of 1888. At the same time
hard liquor consumption increased
by $685., 1888 gallons. The net decline
in all alcoholic beverages consumed
amounted to 72,756, 228 gallons.
Fading popularity of beer is one
of the tragic jokes of repeal" said
a leading dry official. 'When the
agitation for the repeal of the VOL
stead act was at its height a few
years ago, the vets argued that if
beer and light wine were restored,
Americas thirst for hard liquor
would vanish. They said people
would drink more beer and less
whiskey. But the fact is that Amer
leans prefer booze to beer"
But even with the inroads of pro-
hibition, past and imminent, the iq-
uor industry is definitely to be con-
sidered in the ranks of big business.
A statistician has figured that six
times more money jingles across
bars or is rung up in liquor store
cash registers annually than is
dropped into the Sunday collection
plates Of Americas 248, 900
churches.
Uncle Sans yearly liquor bill is
approximately 5000, 000. 900. At the
same time Americans contribute
about $550, 000, 900 to the support of
churches. It is estimated that there
are $50, 900 places in the United
States where liquor, beer and wine
can be bought, including taverns,
cocktail lounges, retail liquor stores
and hotels.