Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1907-03-30 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

YOUTHFUL ESSAYISTS' AMUSING COMMENTS.  Following the lead of other large towns throughout the country, the officials of a Band of Hope Union of a Northern town have quite recently undertaken temperance work of a more scientific and educational nature than hitherto. One of the officers of the Union, who has had special training in this class of work, undertook to prepare and deliver a special course of lectures on "Alcohol, what it is and what it does." The examinations thereon, for which prizes, etc., were awarded, attracted a large number of entrants and many exoellent papers were received.  Excerpts from some of the answers given our naders will find interesting, instructive, and amusing.  The question, "What are the uses of Alcohnlf" was productive of quite a Nariety of answers, many of which were "fearfully and wonderfully made." The tiny tot who stated that "Alcohol is a constitution ruiner," would have probably scored an extra mark or two had it been stated which constitution was referred to—the Constitution of the State, or the constitution of the human body. Or was it both V A little mild cynicism was evidently intended by the writer of the sentence "Alcohol is useful for adulterating ales, wines, and spirits." Another youthful reformer stated that "Alcohol is useful for poisoning animals and people." This is about on a par with the assertion that "Alcohol is of no use only for killing people who take it. It turns people drunk, and they don't know what they are doing on."  The question, "Why do you abstain from strong drink ?" was productive of many flights of imagination. Readers may do their own sorting. "Because nourishment is far better than beer." "Because you obtain from strong drink poison, disgrace, and idleness." "Because it ruins the soul and kills the body."  "Because the people who are not drinkers have most possessions, have most happiness, and have the longest lives. It is a very good policy not to touch drink, for it bieteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an arrow." "Because alcohol sends people into death and mystery. Therefore we should not drink alcohob ck lickers.'"  "Because alcohol brings people very low, it makes them poor, and it is the first step to the gallows. It is this horrid liquid that makes the n; a jority of murders." "Water is better than intoxication, and people that drink beer are miserable, people that do without are cheerful and wise."  Another stated that alcohol was useful for " cloriforming phormemerters."  There is a touch of true patriotic feeling surely in the blood of the mite who wrote, "I abstain from strong drink, because I want to do good myself and to try to get my country to do good." Is not this the kind of duff true Britishers are made of "The reason why we should not touch it," writes another youthful observer, "is because we can see in cur town the distress it makes to many a poor family." Yet another writes, "It makes you frightened when you see half the people in Sedgefield Asylum there through drink—that's why I abstain." In another paper the youthful writer asserted "that many people think it a great thing to come home intoxicated," and added, "people ehould not drink beer because it makes them go out of their minds and go mad and makes you swear."  And as a last extract: "Yon cannot get to the bottom of thc meaning of akohcd, because sonje men take it in the winter to warm them; and in the summer they take it to cool them!"- W. A.