PROSPERITY AND DRUNKENNESS.

Evening Star, Issue 3219, 14 June 1873, Page 1 (Supplement)

PROSPERITY AND DRUNKENNESS.

One fact came < ut m VI r Lowe’s Budget w tti ominous clearness shat the increase of Writes among-t iht* working classes has een followed by a large increase in the cousump* non of intoxicating .(rinks Ihe rumors which have i.eeu circulated are now substan(iated by figure-. In the Excise, spirits show an increase of Ll 33 .000. in king a total receipt of 1.13,(iOO UOO The increased consumption has co tinned through <ut the whole year at the taie of L 25.000 per week. ■ 'uringthe six months end-ngSe temberdO it >' as at the rate f L3O 000 a week, and during the la t -ix months at the rate of L 20,000. “It is impossible,” said Mr J owe, ‘t' mi such a statement wi bout very mxdfe ii a. n the one hand, I cannot hel,> th uuing what a much b,t er use might nave tieen made of the money of which this is but a small portion ; but, on the other ban i. one cannot hj Ip rej ucing that the state •t hi working classes has been such that they nave b>-eu enabled to make this expenditure, though they might have spent their money >o m ch b t er”—a balance of good ain-.t evil whicn pmv ked a laugh, .vlalt showed a increase .f L86t),000 but L4OO 000 of that had arisen Lorn a very late malting lad; ye r and a veiy early one this. The (>nsto s also gave an mciea e on spirits of I-357,001; o i to -acco of ( 253,00 d, and on wine of 37.00. hese are all suggestive figures but it is u it the working clashes alone who ha>e indulged, nor «ioe- all this increase o' exuendituie in this direction necessarily imply a.i increase of drunkenness, or even of v cious luxury. It may be but one sign of maie ial prosperity which fr-nds to modify and equa is« the mode-, of living, h.r Wiltred Lawson, the stanch temperance reformer. did not allow ttiese statements to pass without rema k. He quo ed the saying that we had drunk ours Ives out of the Alabama difficulty, and said he thought we had little to congratulate out selves ipon in thi- Prosperity Budget. “A. former chairman of the Board of Inland evenue, being told that a certain tax was bad lor the morality of the country, said, I ha-.k God, I have notnmg to do with the mor dity of the country !’ no doubt, such an official, it at-k.u what was the g eat end of dan. won d reply. ; To consume toe greatest p ssible amount of duty-paid spuits between the c adie and the grave.’ (Laughter.) in th s sm-e habitual drunkards were the sheet neb r of the Bri ish oustituti' >n >er. gi ette i tf;at the Govt-rn-meut >o far acted on t da pnuci de as to < o nmission 150,01)0 person- to C'dle t taxation b. means of dnua In sho i. Cowp.-r’a lines were slid as app icafne as ever: Ten thousand casks For ever dribbling out their base contents, Touch’d by the Midas finger of the State, Bleed gold for Ministers to sport away. Drink, and be mad then ; ’tis your country bids! Gloriously drunk obey th* important call! Her cause demands th’ assistance of your throats Ye all can swallow, and alia asks no more. (Laugn.er I ‘Ue dtiuas ut tue neb uad increased only 34 1 or ceuu, but, the consumption of gin had risen 11 and beer 13 per CrUt.