PROGRESS OF TEMPERANCE.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 42, 20 September 1884, Page 3

PROGRESS OF TEMPERANCE.

[jJ>VBBTESXinST.] The question of temperance is of prime importance, as its opposite is often the root of poverty and crime. It is even more iibportant to- the prosperity of the working classes than the question of wages; : The liquor business has an invested capital of 120 millions, and absorb* one-tenth -of our producing power by an army of a million and- a < kail 4f"meßU Two hundred thousand persons are annually convicted for drunkenness tad 50,000 lives sacrificed to drink. Though we consume one-fifth Sess Iktoer than we did seven years ago, we still spend annually on it . over 100 millions, which is more than we spend on breadi ' InereaMd intelligence should divert this stream _pf wealth, which

wonldbring to th© pifeople'B homes cornel fort aind happTne«.s, to ; replace destitution and misery. The success of bands of hope which have done< noble; rerj noble work, proves to us that it is to tl.e young especially we'must-show, by example as well as by precept^ that-excess is 1 not only opposed to ! 'inbraljty,%it leads to no real or lasting joy, and is in every way dam«jrii» jf r *nd deferioratihji to the health, the pocket, and the reputation. Education has aWady dOttP'sotnetbihe to promote the cause of temperance, and will do more. ■ . la'the irmy*v *web^r years ago ' men of *%uperib> ffJ eyrieafi6o -hwnbered 8.T17, but on the Ist of January this , year the -buta&jr* hadi increased to 137.005.- ' ln 1871 the number stood at 23^593. r 'ln •1864 those whe^'cdhia ''rieiflie^reiid 1 jaor write were put down EB.oTO^ul^iow^are <mly^ ~miv~*rer~*fflp- Al'lkerznom ' time.drHnifent^ff is Aimixtifhiagi+mori* our ■61dier»..'T.5Last >year.*l .record of court-martial; beinß