"THE ECONOMICS OF DRINK."

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1809, 7 April 1888, Page 3

"THE ECONOMICS OF DRINK."

I frankly Bay that I am m favor of legislation m the direction of Temperance. I do nob advocate it on moral grounds, because it would not be my buaineai to do so. Others can do that better. I advocate it on economic grounds. There can be no doubt wh-.tever that an enormous amount of the crime of the United KiDgd >m springs from the unnstricied sale of Hqaor. I was talking the othar d*y to a magistrate of the metropolitan piiic: court m a very crowded and poor pj.rt of London, and he tcld mo that at loaai three-quarters of aU the crime tha% ca;na before him arose from the uarestriuittd sale of drink — what I may call a vital recourse to the public-house and t^e gin-3hop. What is the effect of this '. The effoot is, you have to maintain a la: criminal population m your prisons at t n immense burden to your osuutry. Tnid criminal population alao is unrcmunera-

live, for they do not bring you m anything, and if they were not m prison they would be oontrlbating to the welfare of

tLe community, so that the expenditure is a double on?. it is an expenditure involving the cat of their maintenance, as well aa the loes the community sustains from not having their labor. Therefore any legislation whioh would diminish — as I gtelieve, eeQslble, temperate legislator, would diminish —

the criminal population m your prisons, would really be legislation of a highly economical character. But I have

to put another question before you : the amount of monjy the British publio epend m drink yearly is something enormous. I forget the exact amount, but it is certainly some scores of millions. Now imagine if by EOtna reasonable, wise legislation, we could diminish the fatal facility of recourse to the public-house or gin shop, that a very large proportion of those scores ot millious of money would be diverted from the liquor trade, and would flow to other trades m England. All trades would benefit ; more food would be purchased, and better kinds of food ; more clothing would be purchased and better kinds of clothing ; more furniture would be purchased, and better kinds ; more education woud be given to the children, and a better kind of education ; and m every way m whioh the money could be diverted from expenditure on the liquor trades of thia country would benefit. Gentlemen, m these d&ys of bad trade and hard times, wo, cannot if we are wise to negleot all means whioh may justly and legitimately stimulate the trade and industry of Qreat Britain. — Lord Randolph Churchill.