TEMPERANCE ITEMS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4336, 4 February 1893, Page 2

TEMPERANCE ITEMS.

The Influence of Alcohol upon Children. Professor Demme, of Berne, at the recent International Alooliol Congress at Olnistiana, presented an interesting report of an investigation which lie had made as I o the influence of aicohol upon obildren. Having unusual opportunities for this study from his position as superintendent of a hospital for children, he selected two groups of ten families each, under similar external environment. One group of 57 was manifestly affected more or less by alcohol; the other of 61, was unaffected, or at least vory little affected. Oitbo 57 who exhibited the effects of alcoholism, 20 had inebriate fathers, tlio mothers and grand parents being moderate drinkers. Only 45 per cent of these (nine) had healthy constitutions; 31 had inebriate fathers and grandfathers, but temperate mothers and grandmothers, Only two ot these, or a little over six per cent were healthy, Six children had parents and grandparents intemperate; one of the survivors was a sufferor from epileptic seizures. In remarkable contrast is the state of the G1 children belonging lo temperate families, 82 per cent of whom enjoy good health, tbreo have died, and eight are in bad health. Professor Demmo also reported the results of an experiment on several children, from whom intoxicants were kept during eight months, and to whom the usual allowance of wine and water was given during the remaining four months of the year, These children were reported to have slept more soundly and longer and to have appeared in better spirits and moro activo during tho noil-alcoholic eight months than during the alcoholic four months, A National Curse, Calamity, and Scandal, Mr Gladstone received iu December last tho freedom of tho City of Liverpool, and delivered an interesting speech, in the course of which ho said; —"Let us all carry with us, deeply stamped upon our hearts and minds a sense of shamefortlißgreatplagueoj drunkenness, which goes through th'V laud sapping and undermining character, breaking up the peace of families, oftentimes choosing for its victims not the men or the women otiginally the worst, but persons of strong social susceptibility, and open in special reBpeots to temptation. Tho great plague and curse, gentlemen, let us all remember, is a national curse, calamity, and scandal. We have held a high place among the nations of the world in more respects than one, I am afraid that it must be admitted that one of tho points in which wo occupy a very high place indeed is with respect to the habit and vice of intoxication. Gentlemen, I believe in no place has stronger special effort been made to meet this mischief than in Liverpool. [ aeo, for instance, that benevolent and enlightened scheme of coffee-houses- places for the obtaining of useful refreshments—has been produced here, judging from what I have heard from time to time, with the greatest energy and effect. I wish we could all of us tako it into our minds, for surely there is hardly one among us who has not seen individual cases ot the pestilent result to which this habit unfortunately leads, that, wo should all carry with us individually a deep and adequate sense of of the mischief, and an earnest intention to do what in us lies, each man witbin his sphere, for the purpose of mitigating and removing it."

The West Ham (Essex) Town Council Lave come to a tight and good _ decision affecting the liquor question. Some time back the Council decided to let a liquor license lapso for the good of the town, though they were offered £IOOO to 'keep it alive," More recently an alderman of the borough succeeded in persuading the Council to sell him a corner site for a gin palace for £IOOO. A groat indignation meeting was promptly held, and a deputation sent to tko Council, with the satisfactory result that the decision was rescinded, and the alderman does not get his corner public house, That such a premium should be offered is a proof of the enormous profits drinkers provide the puhlicaus.

To educate the young theexecutive committee of the Liverpool Diocesan Church of England Temperance Society has unanimously resolved to 1 advertise for a certificated day-school maßter to give in the Church of England day-sohools throughout the die-* cese of Liverpool simple scientific lectures, illustrated by diagrams, showing the eSeota of intemperance on the human system. The lecturer will also act as the organising agent of the juvenile section of the Society, in connection with whiob there are 128 biancbes, Liverpool is the first diocese in which such an appoiniment has been decided upon. It was reported at a meeting of the

Mnnohoater Board of Guardians in January kst, that in 17 cases only had't been found necessary to g IV e outdoor relief to able bodied wen notwithstanding the continued sovor- \ mthet. The Chairman and Mr Pooley referred with Batmfaction to tho fact that not only pauperism bat inlemporance also was decreasing in Manchester,,.. Mr Andrew said Mr Poole7"sff3fiii|he key. ~ note when he told them of tlZecrease lin drunkenness: a decrease in the drinking habits of the people was the cause of the decrease of pauperism. It was also stated that the mortality at tho workhouse was less at the present time than for some years past,

At Keighly recently George Bnggs and Ambrose Kiley, were charged with lllioit distillation of spiut at Keighley. For some time tho police had suspeoted that an illicit manu- ' facture of spirit was proceeding in the district, and they made a raid on tho house of Riley in Park-lane. They were obliged to break into the piemises where a complete still with nee? containing liquor which Jflp fermentation! The police thtHSfs'ited the houso of Briggs, in Milton Street, Worth Village, where distilling apparatus naa i seized, and Briggs was arrested. Riley i is a well known teetotaller in the diß- 1 triot. 1

_ It ia n curious fuct that rum-drink- '■'■ ing in London is indicative of the k economic condition of the Metropolis. ■ Wbon the consumption is large it may be pretty safely assumed that the masses are fairly prosperous, when it " falls off, (hat hard limes and hard ..•' lines are being experienced,. No . other spirituous v '^, r ' : serviceable as a sooiafTaromoter. - - '" : From one point of view, therefore, ''■ if not from another, it may be deemed' satisfactory that tho consumption of | rum in London during tho first nine mouths of the present year exceeds that during the corresponding period lof 1801 by nearly 800,000 gallons. This is more remarkable, inasmuch as taking the country as a whole there has been a falling off tho extent of HO.OOQ gallons.