Bargoed Journal. — 1904-09-10 (Gelligaer, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

LIQUOR COLUMN. Another striking illusrtation of the danger of giving intoxicating liquors to children was given at an inquest held at St. Pancras, London, last week, on Charles Sylvanus Parrridge Longman, .aged four years, who was found in bed unconscious on the Sunday morning. According to the evidence, a jug of ale • and a bottle containing half a timber ful of rum, which had been left on a shelf the night before, had both beei emptied, and the child was found a; ;stated. His m•lther, smelling his breath discovered that he had mixed th 'with the beer and drank both. The parents admitted that they used V) give deceased little sips of beer occa=ioa The child mile regained consciousness on the Tuesday, and died shortly afterwards from " heart failure due to alcoholi•:' poisoning." A "London Evening News" representative ascertains that in the poorer districts of London this practice of giving intoxicants to children is. unhappily, only too common In East End public- houses mothers may often be seen "giving the kid a drink" as they most inaptly call it. It is in these slum districts of all large towns that the infantile mortality is so abnormally high, and, in spite of such facts ' as these, many well-meaning reformers will persist in arguing that poverty, ' bad housing, etc., are the causes, and not drink. If these mothers were only sober they would buy milk and food , with the money they now spend in drink. The children, in stead of being half-starved, neglected weaklings, would ' be better cared for, stronger and healthier and would at least have a chance in the battle of life, which with a drunken mother, is impossibe.  The Brooklyn (New York) Physical Culture- Society publishes the following amongst its declaration of principles : Art. 9. We believe that alcohol is detrimental to the highest possible health of the body; that it lowers the vitality and debilitates the reserve force on which the body is dependent in warding off or fighting disease; that it affects and destroys the tissues of the body, injuring the nerve cells and destroying the essential nerve elements and nuclei : that it impairs the function and nutrition of the entire nervous apparatus ;- that it attacks the higher eerebrial centres, causing a weakness of will power and blunted moral sense that degrade manhood; that to totally abstain from it is to bring it into disuse, and thus to make it unprocurable to those- who, under its influence, dishonour the home, mother and father, bring shame upon their names, commit crime and suicide, practice profanity, unkindness and brutality, causing unhappiness and misery, and transmitting degenerating influences to their offspring."  The, figures relating to deaths suiting from alcoholic excess in the decade ending with the last century are appallirg. The number of such deaths among women in 1900 was more than double the number in 1891, and the increase is far greater than in the case of deaths. of males. The figures given in the annual report of the Register General show conclusively that drunkenness, especially amongst women, has markedly increased during the past 20 years. They are as follows :1 Females--England and Wales. Alcoholism, delirium tremens, 18911 740; 1900, 1575 ; 1902, 1,111 ; Males— Alcoholism delirium tremens, 1891, 1,327; 1910, 2,063; 1992, 1673. Compared with the number of deaths from these causes amongst women in 1883, which was 397, the figure for 1900 is all the more striking. Cirrhosis of the liver, which is induced by alcoholic excess, accounted for the deaths of 1,337 women in 1883, 2,112 in 1990, and 1,770 in 1912. In Ireland a similar .state of affairs prevails. The report of the Register General just issued shows that in 1891 nineteen women died from delirium tremens and chronic alcoholism, and in 1900 this number had increased to 41, an increase as in this country, of over 100 per cent. The deaths of males on the other hand, from the same cause had increased only from 112 to 110.  A return just issued shows the total number of petitions against the Licensing Bill, now the Licensing Act, which were presented in the House of Commons It will be remembered that there were many petitions after the purpose of the Bill was announced, but before its terms were made known. These we find under the head " Licenses (renewal); against alteration of law," signed The total number of signatures was 55,061, and 2,561 out of 3,394 were signed officially or under seal. Against the Bill its-11 there were 8,213- petitions 3,472 being signed officially or under seal, and they bore 321,450 signatures. From license holders, " for redress of grievances " there were ten petitions. with 296 signatures. In favour of the B:11 itself there were two petitions, with 255 signatures. There were also 66 petitions bearing 7,029 names, for the alteration of the Bill. These figures clearly show the attitude of the public against the measure; but their appeals were not heard. All their prayers were far naught. The brewers hal the only hearing, but the people's turn will come later on—through the  Wanted, Bell's 'Stores Prize tion Coupons. Best price 01 quantities.—Apply, `. lournaf"' (),!fitce,, Bargoed.  Conipetiffered for Coupons.  1,:, 1 i •• I, k ! , , 1 4 i 1, ,i , . 1 .. ~ 0 t , ''' i• ' , 1 i , t . • , 4; t ; ' I i 'l 1 , 1 i 1 I I+ 1 , .. , '• I 1 a 1 t ,‘ , 1 1  I